Skylanders: The Heretic Jewel
by CynderFanForever
Summary: Now the leaders of the Skylanders and the Captains of their respective Elements, Spyro and Cynder find things are not as easy as they would have hoped. When a new threat in the form of the Shadow Golem Zelophehad arrives, allied with Kaos, they must travel to the Forgotten Realms to stop them from finding the object known as the Heretic Jewel, which could destroy all of Skylands.
1. Prologue: The Dark Jewel

**Hey everyone! Sam here, and I am happy to present to you the prequel to my _Skylanders_ series, _Skylanders: The Heretic Jewel_ , which ties into major pieces of _Skylanders: Pure_. I will start publishing _Pure_ once I get about ten chapters into this story. Now, you will notice that Cynder's personality is like that of later stories, such as _Dark Warriors_ , while at this time in the series' chronology, she was quite fragile when it came to what could make her either sad or angry. However, I changed that for this, just so I wouldn't have to adjust to the other style. Hope you all enjoy it, and if you ever need to ask me anything, send me a Private Message! Have a great day, and God bless!**

* * *

 **Prologue:**

 **The Dark Jewel**

The young Elf bounded through the forest filled with evergreen trees and green grass and trickling streams, unable to wait until she returned to the castle. She wanted to show her mother and father the flowers she had found. She was sure they would be happy with her findings.

At the moment they were residing in a Kingdom of the Life Realm, known as the Viridian Kingdom, so that her family could create a treaty between the main Life Realm and the Kingdoms throughout.

Her parents were the rulers of the Life Realm, making her the princess, and the next in line after they passed. So long as one of them remained King or Queen, she would remain princess, which she was fine with. She didn't want to grow up just yet.

She found herself on the stone path to the castle's front gates seconds later. All around her now were the trees, as they had been in the forest. This time, however, they were only on either side, with little foliage in front of her.

This was not because they had cut the trees or other foliage down; rather, it was because the path in front of them was natural. That was what the King of this Realm had told them anyway.

She made her way up the path until she found the gates in front of her. The guards there saw her and opened the gates for her. She found her parents talking to the King and Queen of the Viridian Kingdom, their conversation being one in hushed tones.

When they saw her, they hushed themselves up. She wondered what could possibly make them do such a thing. It wasn't part of their nature.

"Hello, Stella," said her mother. "How was your little traipse through the forest?"

"I wouldn't call it a 'traipse,' Mother," said Stella. "I would call it a journey through a beautiful landscape full of beauty and wonders, where the roots hide secrets and the rivers are filled to the brim with truth. Look at these beautiful flowers I found!" She showed her.

Her mother smiled at her. "I'm sorry, dear," she said. "We're…in the middle of a conversation. We must return to it. I want to be with you right now, but I can't. Just go inside and find something to do for the time-being. This shan't take much longer, my dear."

Stella obeyed, though she felt she needed to hear all that was being said. While being hushed up and secretive was not part of either of her parents' respective natures, eavesdropping was one of hers. She'd been doing it for quite some time, ever since she could remember. Her thirteenth nameday had not yet come, meaning she had been doing such things since her fifth nameday had come and gone.

She found a slightly open window in the storage room just to the left of the foyer. She kneeled down beside, making sure to remain out of sight from the adults. From here she could hear all they were saying. At the moment, it was her father speaking:

"…That blasted fool of an Elf, he decided to betray his own Kingdom and assassinate his King. They caught him, of course, and locked him up. They won't execute him, however. Queen Quercu of the Glande Kingdom said it would be against their laws. Now, while I do understand the meaning behind morality and choices, I also understand that certain measures must be taken in order for such a situation to never happen again…especially in the situation we're in now."

"Yes, the war between the Dark Master and the Realms who have stood up against his tyranny," came the voice of the King. "It is understandable that most of these Kingdoms and Realms are afraid of all that is coming, but we must stand together if we are to defeat Malefor."

"Don't use that name!" hissed the Queen. "It is an evil thing—"

"Still your tongue, Elvess!" commanded the King. "I am sorry to speak in such a way, especially to you, but the Dark Master's true name is not taboo. It is not a blasphemy to all ways of life, as you are seemingly suggesting. Malefor is his true name, and he is one to be feared, I agree. But there is no reason to cower just in front of his name. That shows true weakness, which I am sure you do not have."

"I understand," said the Queen.

"Yes, now, back to the business at hand," came the voice of her mother. "There have been reports that Malefor has many different allies on his side, those he considers his generals. Have you heard anything of this sort?"

"Yes, we have," replied the King. "We've seen some of them in action, which is both fortunate and unfortunate, if you ask me, or rather, us." He was referring to his wife. "As far as we know, there are two generals for Malefor. One of them is the Ape King, known as Gaul. He was blinded in one eye during one of the most recent battles, I read in a report from Salvus, a cousin of mine. Gaul is definitely strong and powerful. He wiped out one faction of the Woodland Armies with only a hundred men—er, Apes. That's one of the many parts of Malefor's army, and they're all led by Gaul. But there are other soldiers of his, many of them creatures from the deepest depths of Infernus."

"I do not believe that," said Stella's mother. "Infernus may be a real place, but I do not believe any of these creatures came from it. The only real creature I could believe would come from there is Malefor. Does anyone really know where he really came from?"

"No," said Stella's father. "But there's no point in worrying about that kind of information. What really matters right now is knowing who the other generals are. I believe I read about one. Their name was Aemus. He is an Ice Dragon, and he's very cunning. He killed an army of Treetops Elves when they confronted him after he was wounded by one of the Curare Arrows from one of our own, actually. There was one more, but I cannot remember their name…Wait, I do remember their title. They're more new than the rest, I've seen. They've only been around for maybe five years." An eerie silence filled the void that had been filled by their words moments before. "They are known as the Terror of the Skies."

"What is their true name?"

"Cyn—"

Suddenly, a heavy vibration rocked the castle, knocking Stella off her feet.

She yelped in pain as her head collided with the ground.

She jumped back to her feet with quick, cat-like reflexes.

That was normal for all Elves to have, especially those who lived in her area of the Life Realm.

She heard footsteps hurrying to the front door, and she hurried out of the room to make it look as if she had just run from another part of the castle.

She succeeded in doing so, and when her parents and the King and Queen entered, it looked as if she had just run into the foyer from the common room.

"What was that?" she asked them. "Was it an earthquake?"

"It was no earthquake," said the King. "That kind of vibration could only be caused by one of Malefor's soldiers' machines, either one that can tunnel underground, or one with powerful explosives. I'd rather the former. At least the former is easier to defeat if you have the right amount of power."

"Yes, but that would still be horribly dangerous," Stella's mother said. "I've seen battles with those things, and they took out whole towns, and even cities. We must tread carefully here, Ignavus."

"No," the King, Ignavus, said. "I know what we must do. We must run. There is no hope in fighting these soldiers. Malefor has finally won. We must run for our lives."

"You coward!" exclaimed Stella's father. "You cowardly fool! If you force all these people to run, you risk killing them all! You do not deserve to be the King of these people! You don't deserve this power! I cannot believe I gave you this honor!"

"It's too late to take it from me," Ignavus said. "It's too late, because I'm going to continue my reign here for a while longer. You will have to kill me before I stop being the King. I will never leave."

Stella's father looked as if she wanted to punch Ignavus, but he held back, knowing it wouldn't be kingly to do so.

All of a sudden, another vibration rocked the castle, this time being so great that parts of the castle began to fall from their places.

"Blast!" whispered Ignavus. He looked at everyone in the room, then turned and ran. "We are all doomed, because of you!" he yelled at Stella's father.

When he was gone, her father said to everyone, "We must run. These are no ordinary vibrations. These are explosions. If we hurry, we can make it out in time. But we first have to save the civilians."

"I am so sorry," said Ignavus's wife. "I had no idea this would happen. My husband is a coward. I cannot believe it. It's too hard to believe that any of this would happen, that he would actually show such colors as these."

"Do not blame yourself, Amator," said Stella's mother. "It is not your fault. But we have no time for this. Let us go, and quickly!"

They ran, Stella being a little behind due to her shorter legs. Despite this, they were still fast as wildcats. They burst out of the castle and ran through the gates.

They followed the same path Stella had walked to get to the castle, only this time, they were going the other way. They had to get to the town soon, before something horrible happened.

 _What could be happening?_ Stella thought. _Why is any of this happening? Why would the King of this part of the Realm be such a coward? This isn't making enough sense! I don't understand any of this! None at all!_

She wondered what the state of the town would be, especially since the vibrations had been revealed by her father to be those of the machines that shot explosives.

When they arrived, all Stella could do was look on in horror, observing the Hell that had once been a beautiful town.

Fires blazed in every direction, buildings were in shambles, and the streets had been torn up until there was nothing more than a large black pit in the middle of the town. The surviving citizens surrounded the pit, many of them beaten and hurt, with clothing torn and wounds evident. Little children cried, and their parents held them close, hoping to comfort them.

"Hello, citizens of the Viridian Kingdom," came a voice. Stella looked up to see, high on a cliff overlooking the town, a large beast made of what looked to be obsidian rock, with symbols stretching across the whole body. Spikes jutted from his back, the sides of his head, his jaw, his arms, and legs. What seemed to be black smoke billowed off its body. Its eyes were luteous, its mouth illuminated by the red light within. "You may all be wondering what I am. I am a Shadow Golem, a creature created by the Purple Dragon you all know as Malefor. He created me to destroy those who stood in his way. I have gone by many names throughout my…somewhat short lifetime. But you may know me as Zelophehad. I am the reason for this destruction. There is a reason for this: in this Kingdom, there is a specific object I am looking for. An object Malefor is looking for. It is called, as I recall it, the Heretic Jewel."

Voices of surprise drifted amongst the citizens. Stella heard some of the words spoken by them, including, "Heretic Jewel, did he say?", "What in the name of God is that?", and "Since when was that thing in our possession?"

"If you must know, 'heretic' means, 'Anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.' The Heretic Jewel was created by unknown means millennia ago," explained the Shadow Golem. "It was created, supposedly, to destroy a Realm because the creator did not believe it was right to follow their beliefs, their doctrines, their principles. After the Realm was destroyed, the Jewel was hidden somewhere, because the creator could not believe what they had done. I have searched for it for three years, and I was finally able to track it down…to here, in the Viridian Kingdom. I shall have what is mine now. But the question is: Where is the Heretic Jewel? Where has it been hidden? Where is it, you wretches?"

"Is that what you want?" asked the voice of the King. Ignavus appeared, holding an indigo, diamond-shaped gemstone in his right hand. "You can't have this. You have an idea of what this gem can do, but you have no understanding. If you use this jewel, you will destroy all the Realms. You may think you will only destroy some of them, those you do not care far, but that is far from the truth, Zelophehad. Yes, I have heard of you. I do know what you are capable of. You can kill me, if you wish. It does not matter. You will never set your claws on this stone."

"Give…that…stone…to…me!" growled Zelophehad. By this time, Stella could understand how he was speaking. His voice was slightly distorted, his voice mostly soft, though by this time, it was obvious he was angry.

Another thing she realized was the fact that the King was not the coward she had believed him to be. She suddenly understood why he had acted the part, why he had left them. It had not been because he was a coward. It had been to find the Heretic Jewel and prevent it from falling into the Shadow Golem's hands.

"You foolish creature," said Zelophehad. "Elves have always been foolish. You believe you're better than the rest of us. You believe you can conquer all! You are nothing, Elf. You, with your green skin, pointed ears, and yellow eyes, are nothing. Give me the Heretic Jewel. I can contain the power and control it. With it, I will be a god."

"You will be nothing," Ignavus said. "You _are_ nothing. Go back to your freak of a creator."

Many of the citizens, including Stella's parents, agreed and began speaking up against the Shadow Golem. It did not seem to faze him, however, much to Stella's surprise.

"You will all die," Zelophehad said. "And I'll be there to gloat."

"But you'll have to find the Heretic Jewel first," said Ignavus. Stella turned to see him concentrate. She wondered exactly what he was doing.

Then she saw the white aura surrounding the gem. A bright flash of white light appeared, and in a matter of seconds, the gem was gone.

"WHERE IS IT?!" roared Zelophehad. "WHERE DID YOU SEND IT?!"

"Somewhere that you shall never find it," replied Ignavus.

The Shadow Golem raised his hand at the King. "You will pay for this."

He blasted some kind of dark energy at the King, hoping to kill him.

Stella's father jumped in the way of the blast, taking it fully in the chest.

He gasped in horrible pain, a pain that Stella had never seen before.

Tears poured from her eyes.

When the blast had finished, her father slumped into the King's arms. Stella and her mother rushed to him.

"Where did you send it?!" asked Zelophehad.

"As I said, somewhere you shall never find it," Ignavus said. "You can search for it as long as you wish, but you shall never find it."

Zelophehad growled. "That is fine, _King_." He spat out the last word. "I will search for it. Despite your words, I know that it shall surface again, and when it does, I will be there. Nothing ever stays hidden."

Zelophehad disappeared in a flash of black Shadow energy.

Stella looked to her father, whose breath was coming out in short, rugged gasps.

She saw the blood seeping through his evergreen robes.

The tears would not stop flowing. The same went for her mother.

"Stella…" came his voice. "Don't…do not be scared…do not be afraid. Do…not be…saddened. You are…strong. You will…become…a hero. You are the strongest Elf I…have ever…known." He began coughing. "Use the abilities you…were given. Use your stealth to…your…advantage." He looked to his wife. "I love…you. Take care…of…her."

He gasped again. It was obvious his end was near. He looked to Ignavus. "Thank you," he forced through. Then he looked up at the sky and said, _"Iamque maxima omnium usu."_

And last, he closed his eyes in noble repose, and died.

Many tears were shed over his body. Stella sobbed most of all.

"I am sorry for this," said Ignavus. "I wanted to do what was right. I know that I seem like a true coward for what I've done. I do not know how I can live with myself."

As Stella sobbed, she heard the terrible roar close to the town.

Seconds later, she was torn away from her father's body as Dark Fire engulfed all that was left of the town.

She walked through the streets alongside her mother and Ignavus, hoping to escape the horrors that she had experienced that night. Pain was in her chest, though it was not a physical pain. It was a pain that signified loss, and that kind of pain was almost like that of an amputation.

The longer that she was forced to live with such a pain, the worse she was going to feel. She didn't want to have to deal with this, though she knew there was no escaping it.

Suddenly a roar sounded throughout the city, and one of the last things she remembered from that night was looking down and seeing a dark shadow spreading across the ground, then looking up into the sky to see what looked to be a large Dragon.


	2. The Waking Moment and Hugo's Meeting

**Chapter One:**

 **The Waking Moment and Hugo's Meeting**

Spyro awoke with a great start, and for a moment, he had no idea where he was. But then, after wiping some of the sweat from his brow, he looked down and found a beautiful, black-scaled Dragoness lying there. As soon as he beheld her, he could do nothing but smile.

Cynder was breathing softly, and that kind of soft breathing was the kind Spyro believed was the most beautiful. Her soft breathing was almost musical, and it helped him to sleep after long nights of attending to the different matters within Skylands, as well as with all the other Skylanders.

Spyro was the leader of the Skylanders, as well as the Captain of the Magic Element, while Cynder was his second-in-command, as well as the Captain of the Undead Element. She was also his mate, for they had had their lifemate ceremony three months before.

It was still hard for him to believe all they had gone through to get to this point. Cynder had started out as his enemy at one time, corrupted by the demonic Purple Dragon Malefor. He saved her, and after taking her to the clinic on Shattered Island to make sure she was treated for the wounds dealt to her by Malefor, they parted ways.

Until one day, when Spyro, needing recruits for the Skylanders, was sent out to find her. Once he had found her, he brought her back to the Ruins, where the Skylanders resided, and where the Core of Light was located.

Her emotions running high as a result of her freedom from her corruption, Cynder accompanied Spyro on their first mission, along with the rest of the Skylanders recruits, which was to stop the Dark Elf known as Deathmatch from destroying the Mabu village of the Mistlands.

The journey had ended with them defeating Deathmatch, who died from accidental self-inflicted wounds, and with them realizing their love for one another.

And so, once they had returned to the Ruins and been initiated into the Skylanders, as well as made Captains of their respective Elements and the leaders of all the Skylanders, Spyro had proposed to Cynder. She accepted, and not long after, they had their lifemate ceremony.

Now here they were, the leaders of the Skylanders, and mates for life. It had been quite peaceful, as well, for the little tyrant known as Kaos had not returned since escaping from them during their mission.

But Spyro still felt as though something bad was coming. A good deal of this was due to the dream he had just had. It was more of a nightmare, and it was not something he was much a fan of dealing with.

He knew Cynder dealt with these nightmares, as well, and they were especially hard for her, as her emotions were still developing, a consequence of being under Malefor's corruption for so long.

She'd made friends, however, and Spyro was happy about that. Sonic Boom, a Griffiness and also the Captain of the Air Element, was her best friend, while Sonic Boom's mate, Sunburn, a Phoenix-Dragon Hybrid and the Captain of the Fire Element, was Spyro's best friend, and a friend to Cynder. There was also Stealth Elf, the Captain of the Life Element; Hex, a Dark Elf Witch and Cynder's second-in-command for the Undead Element; and Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy, the Captains of the Water and Tech Elements, respectively.

The only ones who knew of Cynder's backstory, besides Cynder herself, were Spyro and Hex. While he and Cynder had deliberated over whether or not they should tell Sonic Boom and Sunburn, they were still unsure of whether or not it was the right decision.

Hex knew of it due to the fact she had confronted Malefor in the Underworld years before being recruited for the Skylanders. Their battle had ended in her victory, with Malefor having been seriously wounded, but he had escaped and she had been forced to join the ranks of the Undead as a result of the Magic she had used to defeat him.

Spyro sighed a little, making sure it was not too loud. He did not want to wake Cynder, for she seemed to be sleeping so soundly. It made him smile to see her in such a way. He found her to be so beautiful, with her black scales (which possessed a violet hue), sapphire-blue eyes, and natural markings on one of her shoulders, forehead, back, and around her eyes.

Suddenly she began to stir, and Spyro laid himself back down on the bed, hoping to make it seem as though he had only just woken up, as well.

When she opened her dazzling eyes, Spyro couldn't help but smile brightly at her. Once her vision cleared and she could see who was in front of her, she smiled back. The first thing she did after that was hug him, and he hugged her back. Feeling her scales, he found they were cold, and part of him wanted to sigh, even though he kept himself from doing so.

The reason her scales were cold was because she had no body heat. Unfortunately, as a result of the corruption she'd experienced, her body heat had been taken away. He hated Malefor for what he had done to the love of his life. If he ever crossed paths with the demon who had done this to her, he vowed that he'd end him once and for all.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Morning," he replied. "How did you sleep?"

"Well," she said. "It could have been better, but then again, I was out pretty late last night. Sonic Boom sure can talk when she wants to. That's one of the many things I love about her, though, and that's what makes her such a good friend."

He nodded. "I agree," he said. "I think the same when it comes to Sunburn. He can talk quite a lot when he wants to, and unless you try to change the subject, he'll keep going on and on. I don't mind, though. I can be the same way, at times."

"Trust me, I know you can," Cynder said. Then she laughed. Her laugh was just as beautiful as the rest of her attributes. He remembered when all she could muster were half-smiles and awkward chuckles. All that had ended after their final battle with Deathmatch. Realizing her love for Spyro had helped her to put aside all that had once held her back, and Spyro felt that it made her even more amazing. Now she smiled and laughed whenever the time was right. "So, just tell me, why did you wake up a bit before me?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, hoping to deter her from the subject of his nightmare. "I mean, yes, I did wake a little before you, but…what do you mean?"

"I mean, I saw you a little bit ago, while I was still half-asleep. I made sure not to let you know I was awake, though. I saw that something was troubling you there. I felt asleep before I could ask you what it was. Hopefully it's nothing to do with Kaos, or anything of the sort."

He sighed. "Yes, I had a nightmare," he admitted. "I didn't want you to know, because I didn't want you to worry. I hate it when you worry, because I feel that you've gone through too much."

Cynder smiled at him. "I'm glad to know you feel that way," she said. "But you have to understand, you can tell me anything. I know there are secrets that you're hiding, and I won't trying to delve into those. But I need you to know that I'm always here for you, no matter what. You were there for me when I needed you, after all. You still are."

Spyro nodded. "That's true," he said. "Okay. Here's what I saw: I was in this room, which was covered in black-and-white tiles. I saw you on the floor, with your shoulder out of place, or so it seemed. This evil-looking creature was standing in front of me. I was angry at them for what they'd done, and all of a sudden, I turned into this corrupted form, with which I killed the creature. Then I went into unconsciousness, and the last thing I saw were tear marks on your cheeks."

There was a long silence between them, but Spyro did not dare to think of it as an awkward silence. When she finally did speak again, Spyro felt as though a weight had been lifted from his chest.

"Well, it's not the weirdest, or the worst, dream that I have ever heard, or witnessed," she said. "I don't know what the dream could mean, to be honest. I hate to be the one to disappoint you, but I've got no idea as to its meaning. I wish I did."

Just as Spyro opened his mouth to speak again, there was a slight rap against the outer wall of their treehouse. He saw Cynder, who was facing that way, look behind him, and he saw her smile a little.

"Good morning!" Sonic Boom greeted cheerfully. "I just wanted to let you know that Cali wants to see you, as well as the rest of us. Just the Captains, she said. Not sure what it is that she wants to talk about, but it must be urgent, or she wouldn't want all of us."

"Okay," Spyro said. "Just give us another ten minutes, and we'll be ready. Maybe less. Just tell her to give us a little extra time."

He rolled over to look at her, finding a great big smile present upon her face, her emerald eyes shining brightly in the sunlight. She nodded at him, then at Cynder, and then opened her wings and flew off.

"Well, I guess it's about that time," Cynder said, and she got to her feet. After yawning and stretching, she jumped off the bed. Spyro remembered how she had once suffered from a broken leg. He still hated that she'd had to deal with such a thing—yet another horrible thing as a result of Malefor—but it was gone now, and that was what mattered.

She was ready pretty quickly, and once she put on her spiked bracers and choker, which helped to symbolize her freedom from Malefor, she looked to Spyro. "We're going to have to talk about your dream some other time," she said. "I'm not going to let this go until we discover why exactly you would have such a dream."

He nodded, though somewhat begrudgingly. "Okay," he said. "I guess I'll be seeing you there?"

She nodded, then opened her beautiful magenta-membraned wings and flew off. Spyro smiled at this, though at the same time he was nervous, because he really didn't want to discuss the dream anymore. He knew she was only looking out for him, and he certainly couldn't blame her for that, but at the same time, he felt there was no need for her to be so worried.

When he was finished and ready, he took flight, and then descended to the ground. He found Sunburn waiting for him. "You didn't want to go with Sonic Boom?" Spyro asked.

"She went with Cynder," Sunburn replied. "You and Cynder okay? She seemed a little worried, and I just thought something might have happened between the two of you."

"I had a nightmare, is all," Spyro assured him. "We were just talking about it, and she's worried because she's had nightmares that have come true before. It's hard to explain, and it would take too long to explain, but that's all I'll say for now."

Sunburn nodded. "Understandable," he said. "Just wanted to make sure. So, what do you think'll be waiting for us when we get into the tent?"

"No idea, but I hope it's nothing bad," Spyro said. "If it's another mission, I hope it's one that isn't too dangerous. I really don't want to be involved in too many other battles. The last few have taken a toll."

"I know how that feels. But hey, at least one of the battles we were involved in resulted in you and Cynder confessing your love for one another. I was just happy that both of you were able to find peace in some way or another. But yeah, I get how you feel. You don't want her to be wounded, and I know she doesn't want you to be wounded. It's the way all mates are. Right now, though, you and her and Sonic Boom and I are the only two couples who have really confessed our love."

"Is there anyone else you can think of who might be in love with any of the other Skylanders?"

"Well, Zap has a thing for Whirlwind, and Bash has a thing for Flashwing. I've heard both of them telling the other two to knock it off. If you remember, Flashwing knocked Bash off a cliff the first time they met. He still sees that as him having a chance with her. I'm not sure what to think when it comes to that."

"Yeah, well, it's Bash, what do you expect? He's a good fighter, but I'll admit that he's not the best in the brains department. Now, I'll definitely say that I usually wouldn't talk about a fellow Skylander like this, but even he's admitted—to me, of all people—that he thinks of himself as stupid. It makes me sad, honestly."

"Well, I know you well enough not to reveal too many secrets of the other Skylanders. After all, I know you and Cynder have a few secrets between the two of you. While Sonic Boom and I wouldn't mind knowing what they are, just because of my curious nature, we've talked about it, and we both think that, if you're going to tell us some time in the future, then it's best if you do it yourselves. No need to pressure you or anything."

Spyro nodded. "Thank you for that," he said. "That actually means a lot to me."

"Yeah, well, don't get too used to me being so nice," Sunburn said. Then he and Spyro looked at each other and started laughing. Spyro had always known Sunburn to have a good sense of humor, and while his brand of humor could be dry at times, it still made Spyro happy. "But there is someone who I think we need to talk about. When it comes to Slam Bam, how have dealt with him? I mean, he still hates on Cynder whenever he gets the chance."

Spyro sighed. "Yeah, I know, and that's definitely unfortunate," he said. "But it could definitely be worse. He hasn't done so in a little while, thank God. I swear, when he spoke to Cynder in such a way back on our mission to stop Kaos and Deathmatch, I couldn't help but want to burn him to a crisp!"

"Well, at least Trigger Happy took care of him. Have I told you that story before?"

"No, actually, and I'm surprised Trigg said nothing about it. How did he take care of him?"

"When you and Cynder kissed, right after Cynder returned, he made a few comments about how you should have been telling her to get out of there for giving information to Deathmatch. Trigger Happy didn't take it too well, and so he aimed his guns and shot a coin up Slam Bam's butt. You and Cynder were too preoccupied with one another, so you didn't see it, but everyone around us started laughing and smiling…even Hex."

"Hex smiled?" Spyro exclaimed. "Wow. I would have never thought someone would be able to get her to smile. I mean, I always held out hope that someone would, but it seemed like somewhat of an impossibility, if you know what I mean."

"Trust me, I know," Hex said as she floated towards them from another path of treehouses. "I didn't think I would have smiled, but not only was it good to see you and Cynder in such good moods after what you'd gone through, seeing what Trigger Happy did just triggered some kind of long-lost emotion that I haven't felt in so long. Not since…you know."

Spyro nodded. "Well, we've got to get going, Hex," he told her. "I'll try to catch up with you later. Cali called all the Captains to the healing tent, or so I think, and so we're on our way now. Cynder already left with Sonic Boom, in case you're wondering where she is."

Hex nodded. "Yes, that makes sense," she said. "I will see you later, then."

When they had left that spot, Spyro saw the healing tent come into view. Standing outside it was Cynder, and she seemed to be impatient. Spyro smiled at this, because even though he hated making her wait, he loved seeing that she was willing to wait for him.

"Where in the name of God have you two been?" Cali exclaimed as she poked her head out of the healing tent and saw them. Cynder, who had been about to speak, was forced to close her mouth and wait for her turn as Cali continued to speak. "We've been waiting on you for five whole minutes! Now come on, we don't have much time!"

She disappeared, and Spyro looked to Cynder, who shrugged. "All I was going to say was that they're waiting on you, but I think you know that by now," she said.

Spyro continued smiling, and he joined her. When they entered, along with Sunburn, there was a collective sigh of relief that seemingly went up from the five other Captains within the tent. As he took his place next to where Sunburn came to stand, with Cynder next to Sonic Boom on his right, he looked around the room.

"Sorry that I'm late," he announced to them. "I just got a little…er…caught up."

"Well, that's all right," Stealth Elf said. "It's only been about five minutes, so—"

"Five minutes is way too long, especially with what I'm meaning to tell you," Cali told them all. "This isn't the only meeting we're having, though. Later tonight we're going to have a meeting with the Captains once again—all of you—and your second-in-command. So, before we get onto the pressing matters that I was already hoping to have already discussed, I want to go around the group and hear who your second-in-command, the one you're bringing with you, will be. We'll start with the leader and the second-in-command, so, without further ado, who will you bring, Spyro?"

"Voodood," Spyro said.

Cali turned her dark blue eyes onto Cynder.

"Hex," Cynder said.

"Whirlwind," Sonic Boom said.

"Flashwing," Bash said.

"Drobot," Trigger Happy said.

"Slam Bam," Gill Grunt said. Hearing this made Cynder nearly sigh out loud. However, she knew doing so would only seem as though she was only trying to put the four-armed blue Yeti down, even though those who trusted her knew that she was the one who was put down by him.

"Camo," Stealth Elf said.

And finally: "Ignitor," Sunburn said.

"Okay, good, I'll do my best to keep a mental note of what everyone just said," Cali said. "Now, let's move on to the other, more pressing matters. There's a lot that we need to go over, and I'm sorry if this bores any of you, but…too bad. Anyway, we've heard from a village out near the Falling Forest that a strange creature has been sighted, and that creature has caused a great deal of damage to surrounding villages. They have now been threatened by this creature. We are not sure what the creature is, but we'll find out soon enough, I am sure."

"What does this creature look like?" Spyro inquired.

"All the reports have said it looks like a big black rock," Cali explained. "But that's about it. Now, it could easily be a Stone Golem that was made from volcanic rock, but we're just not sure at the moment."

Spyro looked over to Cynder, who looked back at him and shrugged. Then something else caught his eye. He found that Stealth Elf seemed very impatient, and he wondered why that was.

But before he could ask her anything, Cali continued with the meeting. Spyro was forced to wait a little longer before he could finally talk to her.

"Once we have more information on just what might be going on around there, then we might be able to have our next mission," Cali continued. "I just hope this mission goes really well. I don't want anyone injured, or anyone to be emotionally distressed, or anything like that."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Spyro said.

He saw Cynder smirk out of the corner of his eye. The only wounds received during their mission against Deathmatch had really been Cynder's, with Deathmatch causing the scar that had once been under her eye to bleed. Other than that, there hadn't been anything else major, besides a few other, more minor scars.

"Well, that's all," Cali said. "I hope you all have great days, and I will be seeing you all tonight."

The Captains began dispersing, but Spyro still hoped to catch up to Stealth Elf before she left. However, once he turned to where she had stood, he found that she was now gone. He guessed she'd teleported out of the tent and he just hadn't noticed.

"You okay?" Cynder asked. "Other than with your nightmare, I mean."

"Yeah, it's just…I saw Stealth Elf had this strange expression on her face, and I wanted to know just what it might be," he told her. "But she's gone, so I don't think I'll be able to do that."

"Well, at least you and I get to be together, right?" She laughed, and this caused Spyro to laugh as well. They found they were soon joined by Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt.

The rest of their day went without issue, with the six of them being able to hang out. There was nothing more that Spyro wanted than to hang out with those he loved, and that included his mate and his greatest friends.

"Tell me something," Cynder said to him later on. "Why is it that you're so sweet?" As she said this to him, she rubbed the left side of his neck. Then, without warning, she kissed him.

This caused him to completely forget about the nightmare, which, when he finally remembered it, made him realize that it was for the best. He didn't want to have to think about that during the time he was supposed to be spending with the love of his life, nor did he want to bring it up at a time like this.

"I don't know," he finally answered. "Maybe it's because I have someone just as sweet by my side? Maybe it's because you're amazing?"

Cynder smiled brightly at this. Looking behind her, he found Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt smiling at them, as well.

Not far from them, however, stood Slam Bam and Warnado. They both distrusted Cynder greatly, and both were still unsure of how it was possible that Spyro could have fallen in love with her, and even become her mate!

"What in the heck are they doing?" Warnado said.

"No idea," Slam Bam replied. "There's no point in trying anything on her. With all of them there, things could get pretty bad. Plus, I'm pretty sure Gill Grunt is planning to take me as his second-in-command to the meeting between the Captains and their second-in-commands. I don't want to jeopardize my standing by trying to talk her down."

Warnado sighed. "Fine," he said. "But we need to try and make her leave again very soon, because it's not safe to have her around. I still don't know how anyone could trust her. I definitely don't, nor will I ever."

"I'd suggest you be quiet," came Hex's voice. "Because Cynder's actually a very trustworthy Skylander, and if any of them heard what you're saying right now, then they might go as far as to kick you out of the Skylanders. Part of me still wonders what Eon saw in either of you."

The two of them, who had jumped when they heard Hex's eerie voice, now took off, hoping to get as far away from her as possible.

Meanwhile, Spyro and Cynder now saw that Cali was approaching them. They wondered why, but then both looked at one another, and without even speaking it, they realized they both knew.

Just after their lifemate ceremony, Eon, the one who had wanted them all to be a part of the Skylanders and one of their greatest allies despite not having known him for very long, had taken off, being found by Spyro and Cynder just before doing so. He had told them that he was going off on an adventure, and as a parting gift, gave them his treehouse, which was the largest of the treehouses in which the Skylanders lived.

After he passed through the gates, they hadn't seen him since. And now, they were sure Cali was wanting to know exactly what had happened to him.

Problem was, they couldn't really say why themselves.

When Cali had made it to them, she cleared her throat, waited for a few moments, then began speaking. "Look," she said. "The only reason I decided to come over here is because I wanted to know what you two know about where Eon went."

"We're not sure," Spyro said.

"I don't believe that," Cali retorted, though the retort was not with hostility. "I believe that you know something about where he is, or where he might have thought of going. I just want some information. He was my mentor, and now I have to deal with a lot of this myself. Without him, none of that is easy. I'm sure the both of you understand. So, I'm going to go ahead and ask you one more time: Where is Eon?"

"We're not sure, Cali," Cynder said. "We haven't seen him since our lifemate ceremony. He never said anything to us, and so when we found out that he was gone, we were just as surprised as everyone else. I know that's not the answer you want, but that's the best answer that we have. I'm sorry."

Cali's face softened. "Okay," she said. "I believe you. I just hope that he's all right, because these are not good times for him to have just gone off and started a new adventure! Not with everything that we might have to go through!"

She walked away, and it could be seen that she was not very happy. Spyro and Cynder looked at each other again, and found that Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt were just as shocked as they were.

Spyro did hope that Eon showed up again soon, because it was not easy being the leader. Fortunately, he was not the leader on his own, for Cynder was there with him every step of the way, helping him to write the messages that needed to be written to the Realms as a monthly report. Out of the sixteen months of the year, there were only maybe five where they would be able to rest for a long period of time.

That was Spyro's best guess. But then he thought about how it really just depended on the kinds of threats they would be facing.

"So," Cynder said, nuzzling him. "What do you feel like doing now?"

"My guess is get back over to the healing tent and wait for the others to arrive. But maybe we should get our second-in-commands first," Spyro suggested.

She nodded. "Sounds good. You go get Voodood, and I'll go get Hex."

She kissed him quickly, and then walked away. Spyro could not help but smile as she walked away from him. The memory of her kiss would remain with him for the rest of his life.

He soon got up, as did Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt.

"We're going to be doing the same thing as you," Sunburn said. "We definitely don't want to keep Cali waiting, because we've all seen how she can be when she's kept waiting."

"It's not her fault, though," Sonic Boom said. "Ever since Eon disappeared, she's been put under a lot of stress. I really do hope that he returns, because things aren't the easiest without him. He was always there when we needed him. He was also one of the few who gave Cynder a chance, and it's because of that that I really liked having him around."

"He saw the good in all of us," Trigger Happy agreed. "Even some of the jerks around her. I'm sure Eon had a reason for wanting them to become Skylanders. But with the way they've talked about Cynder, as well as some of us, has really gotten on my nerves. Not sure how much more of it I can take."

Spyro nodded. "Well, I'll be seeing you guys," he said. "I don't know where Voodood is, but I had definitely get on with finding him. He shouldn't be far, but you know how things go with some of this."

They nodded, and without further ado, Spyro turned around. He walked around the Ruins, hoping to locate the Magic Skylander.

It didn't take him too long to do so, for Voodood was standing in the middle of the rows of treehouses, which stood on either side of them. "I heard you were looking for me," he said.

"Who told you that?" Spyro asked. "I mean, yes, I was, but I was just wondering."

"Wrecking Ball overheard you guys, and so he told me that you would be looking for me later on. I decided it was best that I came here, so that you might be able to find me easier," Voodood explained.

Spyro nodded. "Good," he said. "Well, we'd better get going. I'd like to find Cynder and Hex, but they're probably already there. So, come on."

When they arrived at the tent a little while later, Spyro found Cynder there with Hex. As soon as she saw him, she smiled at him. Spyro still couldn't help but believe how much she had changed since he found her there that night in the bar. She had not even wanted to smile, and even when she attempted to, it had always appeared as a half-smile. But now, things had changed so much, and he was very much grateful to God for that.

"Good, you're both here," Cali said, coming up to them at a brisk pace. "And since you're here, and Cynder's here, then so are the two leaders of the Skylanders, so we won't have to worry about that, either." As soon as she walked away, Voodood turned to Spyro.

"Is there a reason Cali's acting so strange?" he asked.

"Ever since Eon disappeared the night Cynder and I had our lifemate ceremony, she's been under a lot of stress," Spyro quickly explained. He saw on Voodood's face a look of slight uneasiness, but as it wasn't anything major—unlike the kinds of things said to and about Cynder by Slam Bam and Warnado, among others—he did not pay it more mind than that, as he felt there was no need to do so. "She was pretty much Eon's second-in-command, just as Cynder's mine. Without him here, she's pretty much gained all the work that he had before he left."

"Any idea where he might have gone?" Voodood inquired.

"Unfortunately, no. But I know he left Cynder and I his treehouse as one last gift. We didn't learn that until the morning after. When we did learn that, it was quite a shock. We saw a note on the right side of our treehouse's window, and when we read it, all it said was that he had given us his treehouse. That was it."

Fortunately for Spyro, throughout his first few adventures in the main Dragon Realms, he had been taught to lie convincingly. While he wasn't proud of lying, he felt it was still needed at some given times, especially when he was being interrogated.

Looking towards the tent, Spyro motioned to Voodood. "I think they have seats set up for us. Can you go and find ours? I'll be in there in the next few moments, I just need to talk to Sunburn really quick."

"Sure," Voodood said. As soon as he walked away, Spyro went over to Sunburn, who was talking to Cynder.

"You ready for this?" Sunburn asked Spyro. "My guess is that you're going to be on the hot-seat in there—maybe even the both of you. If Cali keeps asking you about Eon, then who knows what might happen. But you're sure that you have no idea where he went, right?"

"Positive," Spyro admitted. He looked to Cynder, who had begun talking to Sonic Boom. "If I did, I wouldn't have kept that information to myself. As I told Voodood, the only thing we know is that Eon gave us his treehouse as a gift for our lifemate ceremony. Besides that, there's nothing more that I can say. I hope Cali fully understands that, because I'm not sure what more she wants me to say."

Cali appeared at the front flap of the tent and called out, "All right, come on. It's time for the meeting!"

As they filed in, Spyro looked back at Cynder. Hex floated near her on her right, while Sonic Boom and Whirlwind were on her left. Behind them, Spyro saw Trigger Happy with Drobot and Gill Grunt with Slam Bam. Seeing the four-armed blue Yeti nearly made Spyro sigh out loud.

This was because Slam Bam seemed to completely despise Cynder, ever since Cynder had inadvertently allowed Whirlwind to be injured. Actually, it had been because Cynder was too far away from the Unicorn-Dragon Hybrid to help her against the skeletons summoned by a Dark Elf who had once followed Deathmatch.

When it had been over and Whirlwind had recovered, she had blamed Cynder for it, and she told Slam Bam of what had happened, causing him to attack Cynder verbally over it. With her emotions having run high, Cynder could do nothing but cry.

This had led to Spyro, along with Sonic Boom, calming her down and helping her through that difficult time. While things were not as hard anymore, Spyro knew it wasn't going to be very easy throughout their time as Skylanders. He wanted to always stay by her, though he knew that would be difficult, as well.

"Good to see you," Cali said to Spyro as he passed. He saw that she was slightly glaring at him, and he guessed it had something to do with her persistence on learning where Eon had gone. He heard Cali say the same to Cynder as the Black Dragoness passed her.

Spyro took his seat on the right side of the table, in the middle. Voodood sat on his left, and he found Cynder was sitting on his right a moment later, with Hex on Cynder's other side. Across the table was Sunburn, with Ignitor on one side and Sonic Boom on the other, with Whirlwind on Sonic Boom's other side.

Once all the other Skylanders were inside, Cali took her seat at the head of the table, and Spyro automatically saw that she did not seem the happiest. "Well, it's good to see all of you here," she announced. "We can't spend much time on such pleasantries, however. We need to get to the serious matters, and fast. We have a few reports we thought you would all like to hear. So, without further ado, here's Hugo."

Hugo, a Mabu from Shattered Island, waddled as fast as his little legs could afford him, a heavy, leather-bound book the size of Slam Bam's body in his hands, hiding the rest of him from sight.

He finally slammed it down on the table, took a deep breath, and began: "Well, I haven't seen too many of you in a while, thanks to my much-needed vacation, and I'm happy to report there isn't anything horrible going on around us. The worst thing I could find…well, I'll save the worst for last, as most usually do."

In response to this, Spyro and Cynder looked at each other with raised brows. Then they turned back to Hugo.

"Okay, here's something from the Dragon Realms, from their King, Nils," Hugo started. "It's for you, actually, Spyro. He says that it is great you became not only the leader of the Magic Element, but also the leader of the Skylanders! He also says it's good that you have a mate, and he would look to meet her one day. He also admits he has no idea what her name is, but it doesn't matter, since he's happy for you nonetheless! Anyway, he goes on to talk about how there is was a disturbance in a place called the…Forgotten Realms." Hugo looked very confused as he looked up at Spyro. "Why are they called the Forgotten Realms?"

"Well, they were actually forgotten at one time, by the Dragon Realms and all other Realms," Spyro explained. "I had to go there once to save one-hundred-and-fifty eggs—although there were one-hundred-and-fifty-one hatchlings, actually—from this monster known as The Sorceress, along with a few other friends of mine. She banished the Dragons about a thousand years before I journeyed there, and when I got there, I learned a lot more about my history. Well, not just mine, but also that of the other Dragons. Anyway, what's Nils saying about the Forgotten Realms? Which of those worlds is in danger? If it's one of those from Evening Lake, then I'll still save it, though I really hate many of those worlds, other than Fireworks Factory."

Cynder smiled as she listened to all of this. Spyro had told her of his many different adventures before they'd met, and she loved him all the more for what he had been able to accomplish.

"He says the world of Charmed Ridge has been threatened by some unknown entity, and if something isn't done about it soon, they might actually be destroyed," Hugo explained. Spyro was shocked as he heard this. "They don't know who or what they've been threatened by, but they definitely got threatened."

Spyro sighed. "Well, that's one of my least-favorite worlds from the Forgotten Realms, but even I know I can't ignore this," he said.

"That's good of you, Spyro," Cali said. "But first, let's see what else is here, okay?"

Spyro nodded, but he didn't want to have to deal with this much longer. If there was a world in danger, then he was going to do his very best to save it. Leaving it to someone that was threatening them was not something he could do. He'd never done it before, and doing it now would only result in greater trouble later on down the line.

"Okay," Hugo continued. "The next thing are reports of old caves crumbling and revealing old drawings of this stone the natives say is a powerful gem that can allow anything the owner wants to come true. Honestly, though, the way they wrote this is atrocious. I feel as though I'm reading the writing of a tenth-grader. They have a specific term for it, though I've never known how to use this language. So, there's a bit of a problem there, as you can tell." He continued on for a few minutes before Cali finally tapped her claws on the wood. This caused him to look up and realize what he was doing. "Oh, sorry. Anyway, this gem's name, in their language, is 'Heritizas Jeklis.'"

An audible gasp could be suddenly heard throughout the room. Spyro looked for the source of it, and he found it had come from Stealth Elf. Looking at her, he found there was also an expression of fear on her face.

"Stealth Elf?" Spyro asked. "What is it?"

"I—I'm not sure," she said, but Spyro saw that she was sweating severely, and he was certain that she was lying to them. "It's just…I think there's something horrible happening around there. I feel as though I've heard that term before. I'm just not sure where."

"Well, if you're wondering, that translates to 'Heretic Jewel,'" Hugo said. "Does that jog your memory any?"

"No," Stealth Elf said. "Nevermind. I thought it might, but I think I'm wrong. Will you please excuse me?"

Without anyone answering, she got up and ran out of the room, leading to everyone present staring at where she had been, both before running and after, at the seat and at the tent flap, in silence.

"Is there anything more we should know about this Heretic Jewel?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah, like, why it hasn't found you," Slam Bam said. "After all, it's probably as dark as your soul."

Cynder's face felt hot, though she did not cry, as she felt now was not the time. She was about to say something, but Spyro spoke up for her. While some might have wanted him to let her speak for herself, she was perfectly fine with him helping her. She realized she did not have anything to say, and she felt she would have only made a fool of herself.

"Slam Bam, stop," Spyro commanded him. "You've been warned about this before, and if you continue like you have, then you are going to face consequences."

"It's true," Gill Grunt said. "You might be my second-in-command, but keep talking to someone like Cynder in such a way, and that will no longer be the case. Do you hear me?"

Slam Bam sighed angrily, crossing all four of his arms. This led to yet another silence, which was finally broken by Cali after a few moments.

"I think this is all adjourned," Cali said. "We have an idea of something major happening, and the sooner we can find out what it is, the better. Also, someone needs to check on Stealth Elf. I'm not sure what's going on with her, but it could be urgent."

"Wait!" Hugo said. "I have one more thing that I needed to tell you! Just so you remember, there will be a party in the next few weeks, and you're allowed to bring a date, if you want to." He looked at Cali with a satisfied expression. "Okay, I'm done."

Cali made a motion that everyone took to mean that it was over. There were quite a few sighs of relief in response to this, which Cynder found herself smirking about.

Once outside, Cynder found herself joined by Spyro, Hex, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom. Whirlwind was also near them, but when she learned what Sonic Boom was doing, she said, "I'll see you later," then walked away.

"You okay?" Sonic Boom asked her. "Slam Bam really had some nerve to say such a thing to her!"

"I know, and I'm going to have to talk with him sooner or later about it. I'm sick of what he's said to her, both in the past and here and now. If he continues it, then Gill Grunt will take him out of the position of second-in-command for the Water Skylanders. I know that's something he really cares about, and not being able to have what he wants most might be the only way to do it. I kind of hate it, but if it stops my mate from being talked of in the wrong way, then so be it."

"I agree," Sunburn said.

"Will I be accompanying you to that talk?" Cynder inquired of Spyro.

"Yes," Spyro answered. "It's the best thing to do, to make sure he doesn't hurt you like he has ever again."

"That's sweet," Cynder said, kissing him.

"Hey, shouldn't we go and talk to Stealth Elf?" Sonic Boom asked. "She seemed really distressed, and I think we need to help her."

Spyro sighed. "Not right now," he said. "I want her to have some time off. Obviously, this is something that hurts her in some way, and if I was to intrude on that, I could be doing even more damage. In the meantime, I think Cyn and I are going to be hanging out at the treehouse. Come and visit, if you want."

He and Cynder walked away, giving each of their friends hugs, and said good-bye to Hex.

As they passed Cali, she whispered to Spyro, "We need to talk."

Spyro sighed again, and he couldn't help but wonder what it was they were about to get into.


	3. The Story of the Shadow Golem

**Chapter Two:**

 **The Story of the Shadow Golem**

Hours later, Spyro and Cynder lay on their bed in their treehouse. Though he couldn't wait to hang out with all his friends later on, he felt it was better if they rested for the time-being, to alleviate any stress they might have felt earlier.

Not only that, but as soon as they had thought they were out of the woods, Cali had called them back for one last meeting with her. Having to deal with her, especially in the state she was currently in, was nowhere near easy, and neither Spyro nor Cynder wanted to deal with this version of her ever again.

Spyro read a book, while Cynder attempted to go back to sleep. Looking over to her, Spyro smiled. Her soft breathing soothed him, and while he didn't want to wake her, as he felt she was quite close to falling asleep, he could not help but reach out his right paw and rub her back. He saw her smile in response to this.

"You're sleepy?" he asked her. "I thought you got some good sleep last night."

"I did," she replied. "But as a Skylander, that doesn't mean you get the best sleep every night. How were you able to deal with it all during those adventures? I remember all those stories you told, and—"

"I couldn't sleep," Spyro said, sighing. "By the time I believed I could, I was usually forced into yet another adventure. But it certainly could have been worse. At least I was able to find someone like you."

He kissed her left cheek, and she smiled softly.

The two of them suddenly heard a sound from the outside, and it sounded as though someone was climbing up their treehouse. Though he knew there was no danger, Spyro readied himself for whoever it was.

Soon he found that it had been Stealth Elf, who seemed out of breath, a reason for which Spyro could not find. "Stealth Elf, are you okay?" Spyro greeted. "What's going on? Why are you sweating so badly?"

"A nightmare," she replied. "One of my childhood, and one that I can no longer shake."

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked with concern.

"I've held back so many secrets over the years, and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold them back," Stealth Elf said. "Have you ever had a secret like that? One you don't want anyone else to know, for fear that they might possibly judge you for such things?"

While Spyro didn't want to say anything, he heard Cynder's voice before he could get anything out.

"Yes," the love of his life said. "While I'd prefer not to go into specifics—er, is that fine with you?"

"I understand," Stealth Elf said. "I know there are things we all hold back, and even if I'm sharing this with you, I know I can trust you with it."

Cynder nodded. "Let's just say, I used to be in a spot in my life where I was in really bad shape. I could have died at any moment, or my actions could have possibly caused something horrible to happen. But I was able to stop this from happening, and if I have to be honest, Spyro was the one who showed me this was possible. Without him, I might still be in that kind of a position. Thanks to him, I'm not where I used to be, and still could be."

Stealth Elf nodded. "That's something special," she said. "I know how that feels, and while I feel the urge to know something more about it, I know how personal these things are. The truth is, though, the reason I'm going to tell you all of this is because I know it's going to be important to this mission we're about to go on.

"Years ago, I was in the Elven Kingdom called the Viridian Realm. I was there with my mother and my father, who worked with the Kings and Queens of each of those Realms. While we were there, these machines appeared. I don't remember the name of the creature whom they worked for, but I do remember going outside and seeing them, only for a voice to call for our attention. When I looked, I found a creature that seemed to be made of some kind of black stone, like obsidian. His name was Zelophehad, and he was in search of the Heretic Jewel. According to him, after having been used for quite some time, it had been brought to the Viridian Realm. Well, unfortunately for the people of that Kingdom, their King was an idiot. Ignavus believed he could wane Zelophehad off his search for the Heretic Jewel by showing it to him and telling him that he would never be able to get it. Of course, you can guess that wasn't a good idea, and everyone around him, including myself and especially the Shadow Golem, knew it. Ignavus was brave, truthfully, by standing up to Zelophehad, and the notion that he was a coward did not hit me then and there. If he hadn't shown the Heretic Jewel to Zelophehad, though, then maybe things might have changed. The King of the Viridian Kingdom forced the Heretic Jewel to disappear, and as you can guess, this did not sit well with Zelophehad. He meant to blast Ignavus with his power, only for my father to jump in the way and take all of it. Zelophehad escaped, and the King continued to be the King of the Viridian Kingdom for quite some time afterward, before finally giving up his crown because of the anger of the people. My father died that night, and the main city of the Kingdom almost went up in flames. As my mother and I left, the last thing I remember seeing was a shadow spread across the ground, and I looked up into the sky to see a Dragon. I could not make out what kind of Dragon it was, but I do remember there was a Dragon, and I have an idea it might have done something to the city, because I remember other pieces of it went up in flames."

She stopped and took many deep breaths. She knelt on the floor, and Spyro and Cynder stood upon their bed to look at her. "It's been so hard to deal with this kind of information. I haven't told anybody other than Eon about it, and all I can say is that it tears me apart to know that Zelophehad is still out there. I have a feeling that he's the one who issued the threat to Charmed Ridge, and if those cave drawings were correct, then he's looking for the Heretic Jewel still. If he finds it…who knows what might possibly happen."

"Stealth Elf, we're going to stop him," Spyro suddenly told her. He blinked, having not at first realized what it was that he had said, but when it was done, he knew he'd said the right thing. "I've been to Charmed Ridge before, fortunately, so I know where we need to go in order to get there. It won't be easy, but we can stop in several other areas along the way. It's the only way to do this, honestly."

Stealth Elf looked at Spyro. "So, this is our next mission, then? To get to Charmed Ridge and stop this threat?" she asked.

"Yes," Spyro confirmed.

Stealth Elf's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you," she said. Then she stood to her feet, nodded at Cynder to get the same point across, and exited.

When she was gone, Cynder looked at Spyro with great concern. "That was me," she said. "I was the Dragon that Stealth Elf saw. This means that I'm responsible for some of that."

"No, you're not," Spyro said. "If you were truly the one responsible, then I would have never professed my love for you like I have. If you're going to blame yourself like that, then you're only giving in to whatever Malefor and Gaul ever told you."

Cynder smiled at Spyro and touched his right cheek with her left paw. "Why is it that you always know the right thing to say?"

"I think it's just a part of who I am," he said honestly, before sharing a kiss.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hugo pored over the reports about the threat on Charmed Ridge. Cali was also in the room, reading about different training techniques for Dragons and Hybrids.

"If only they could tell me the truth," Cali said.

"What was that?" Hugo asked Cali.

"Spyro and Cynder," Cali said. "I know that they know where Eon went, and for some stupid reason, they won't freaking tell me. I'm just not sure why that is."

"Well, there might have been something major between them," Hugo suggested. "Like some kind of secret. Haven't you ever had to deal with a secret you don't want anyone else to know? I sure know I have."

"It's not that, Hugo!" Cali snapped. "I'm just tired of dealing with all of this. If I can get to the bottom of everything, then maybe we won't have to worry about it any longer. When that morning after Spyro and Cynder's lifemate ceremony arrived, all I found was a note explaining that Eon had left. He didn't tell me where he'd gone, nor why he'd left. It's just so infuriating."

She reached into her desk and removed the letter she had been given by Eon. While it spanned two pages, she was not sure why Eon had only given her that. All she wanted was for the truth to finally come out.

"Hugo," she said.

"Yes?" Hugo replied.

"Can you go and get me a cup of coffee? I think I just developed a headache, and if I don't get something hot soon, I might need to go lie down. I don't want to do that, though, because I have a feeling we're going on another mission soon."

"Yes, Cali!" Hugo waddled out of the room as fast as his Mabu form allowed him. Cali sighed when he was gone, and she hoped he was gone long enough for her to read and process the whole entirety of the letter.

 _If this is all Eon gives one of his favorite allies, then I'm shocked to know what he might have given Spyro and Cynder. I do know he gave them his treehouse, which leads me to the idea that they saw him before he left,_ she thought. _But for some stinking reason, they won't reveal where he went, or what he might have told them! I know that I'm not the most-trusted when it comes to their group of friends, but I would like to know I'm not alone in this battle. I feel as though they've betrayed me with all that's happened. Why can't life ever be simple?_

She opened the letter and prepared herself to read it for what seemed the hundredth time. She couldn't help but ope that it would change and give her an idea of where Eon had gone, but even as she thought that, she knew it would not happen. She was not very lucky when it came to such things, after all.

The letter read:

 _Dear Cali,_

 _While I do not want you to be alarmed, I cannot help but feel that my sudden disappearance might elicit that from you. While I cannot tell you where I might be going, or where you might find me, the one thing I can say is that I have left the Skylanders in good hands. I know you will help lead them well as their main advisor, as I was at one time, just as I know Spyro will lead them well as their leader. He and Cynder were the perfect choices for the roles of leader and second-in-command, and my choices for Captains of each Element were done with the best interests at heart._

 _Please know that I will not be returning to the Ruins for quite some time, and if I ever do return, then know something horrible will have happened. I know I'm leaving you with many troubles, and I am sorry for that. For you to forgive me is something I cannot expect. When we see each other once more—and I have faith that we will see each other once more when the time comes and the Realms allow it—you might ask me why I left, and once more, that is something I cannot tell you. Please forgive me for what I have done to you. Anyway, there are many things I must tell you in order to be the perfect advisor to the Skylanders. This won't be easy, but I know you can do it._

 _First of all, make sure to keep an eye on the likes of Slam Bam and his group of friends/allies. I remember what I was told about how he acted towards Cynder before the adventure in the Mistlands and during. While I did not witness any of it, I have no reason to believe those who told me what he said would lie. It is unfortunate he would have such an attitude towards your ally, but I think he suffers from different issues, including an overinflated ego. While I believe he'll overcome it one day, one can never be too sure. Cynder is still recovering from her past, and I don't want him to ruin things for her._

 _Speaking of Cynder, make sure to keep an eye on her and Spyro. The two of them are likely to live their happily ever after now, especially now they've professed their love for one another. All the same, I cannot help but let you know that they both have issues, as well. While their issues are nothing like those of Slam Bam or a hopeful recruit I met once named Bad Breath, they have many enemies who would like to see them crumble. I am entrusting you, Cali, to make sure that such a thing does not ever happen. If that does happen, then things will become bad for all of us, and that level of horror is one no one can imagine. I've lived all my life believing there could be no worse enemy than Kaos, but there is one out there that both Spyro and Cynder have faced, whose name I will not tell you here. You will have to learn that for yourself one day, because while I'm sure he is dead, I do know that evil villains are harder to squash than cockroaches. This villain would destroy Skylanders in a heartbeat if he were to be resurrected, and that is why I need you to keep an eye on them. They will experience great stress as a result of the roles I've appointed them, as will you, but I'm sure you'll be able to find a way through it alongside them. You just need to have faith, young one, and a great deal of it._

 _In conclusion, I know you will succeed in all it is that you are doing, and if you have any questions, ask Hugo. While I've given you the greatest role of the Skylanders' advisors, there might be some things he knows that you do not. Ask him, and you will receive good words. While I wish I could talk to you in person, and while I know this is an abrupt good-bye, I'm sure that one day, we will see each other again. Do not despair, young one._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Eon_

 _Post-scriptum: I gave Spyro and Cynder my treehouse, in case you're wondering._

She couldn't help but think, _If only he gave me more information. I just need more information, and what he's given me here isn't enough! Why did this old fool leave me with so many problems?_

She didn't want to think of Eon as an old fool, but she couldn't help it.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Cali found Stealth Elf standing once she had strode over to that spot. "What is it?" Cali asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Cali said. "Remember when I told you of the Mabu who came into the healing tent on a stretcher?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm going to need your help with one of them," Stealth Elf explained. "He had a few seizures overnight, and the more time he spend on that bed, the more trouble I'm forced to deal with. It's not easy whatsoever."

The two of them left the room, with Hugo and Cali having been in Cali's cabin near the healing tent. While she could sometimes hear something going on in there at night, there had been no true issues with any of it.

Inside the tent, Cali found a Mabu in one of the beds. However, it was a female, and she seemed to be in good condition. Just as Cali was about to inquire about this, Stealth Elf took hold of her arm and pulled her into the storage area.

"I needed an excuse to talk to you in private," the Life Captain explained to her, closing the door that led out to the main healing area behind her. "I just came back from talking with Spyro and Cynder, and as soon as I was done there, I felt the best thing to do was to come and talk to you. Now, you have to promise me you won't reveal this to anyone. I won't hurt you or anything if you do, but I will be severely disappointed in you."

Cali nodded, finding the humor in Stealth Elf's usually-humorless speech. "Go ahead," she said.

It took a few minutes for Stealth Elf to get through all that she had told Spyro and Cynder, and while she did not want to have to deal with the retelling once more, having only told Eon before telling Spyro and Cynder, as she'd told them as well, she was able to get through it without any major trouble. She saw Cali reacting in the correct ways throughout the whole thing, and when she finally finished, having not said anything about the fact they needed to take advantage of Hugo's news, Cali looked her straight in the eyes.

"Let me guess," she said. "You want to take advantage of Hugo's news and go to Charmed Ridge so that we can stop this Shadow Golem. You said his name was Zelophehad, or something like that?" Stealth Elf nodded. "What a strange name."

"Yes, it is," Stealth Elf said. "The name means 'shadow from terror,' and I think that whoever created him—since Shadow Golems can only be crated, not born—took that the other way, or they didn't know of the latter part of the meaning, only seeing 'shadow.'"

Cali nodded. "I see," she said. "Well, I think this is the best idea. If we leave now, then we might be able to find this Shadow Golem and prevent him from finding this Heretic Jewel. If he finds it, then even I can tell all Hell will break loose."

Stealth Elf nodded. She hugged Cali all of a sudden, something that caught her off-guard. Then she ran out of the storage room, and Cali hoped that this mission would help her get through everything.

As she walked out of the storage room, she looked over to the female Mabu who was lying in the bed. "Hello," Cali greeted, waving. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Not right now," the female Mabu said. "But I do want to thank you for everything you've done for me and my family. They're not here currently, as you can see, because they have to tidy up our home in Shattered Island. But they'll be back, and you can meet them soon enough."

"Did something happen over in Shattered Island to make you have to come here?" Cali said. "What I mean is…what happened over there? I remember there being something that happened a little bit ago, but a few of the Skylanders were all that were called over there to help out. I know they were able to do it without any trouble."

"Well, they did, and if it hadn't been for them, then I might have actually lost my life," the female Mabu said. "That Purple Dragon and his mate the Black the Dragoness, as well as the Hybrid and the Griffiness."

Cali realized that "Hybrid" referred to Sunburn, as the mention of "Griffiness" was obviously referring to Sonic Boom. Since the two of them were in love, it had to be them.

"Well, those four are some of the best, in my opinion," Cali said. "Spyro, Cynder, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom were the ones who came to your defense. Actually, Spyro and Cynder are the leaders of the Skylanders, and they're all the Captains of the Magic, Undead, Fire, and Air Elements, respectively." While she wasn't sure why she was explaining all of this to the female Mabu, she felt at the same time that it was good to give some of the history to those they had vowed to always protect.

"Well, that is amazing," the female Mabu said. "My name is Sharon, by the way."

"My name is Cali."

"Thank you for all the help, Cali. You know, when he came to my home and threatened us, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but when he learned the Skylanders were coming, he went running, and it's them I have to thank for my life. My family and I are forever in the Skylanders' debt, and we will never forget that. If we have any problems, then we know who to call on."

Cali nodded a few more times, then started mulling over what she had just heard. "Wait," she said, suddenly, having realized something. "You said that 'he' threatened your life. Who does that refer to? Who was the one that threatened you and your family?"

"The Little Tyrant," the female Mabu answered. "Kaos."


	4. The Little Tyrant

**Please note that this chapter takes place before the first two chapters.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three:**

 **The Little Tyrant**

His mission had been to strike terror into the hearts of the Mabu there in Shattered Island, and he vowed to not let his master down. He had done so quite some time ago—actually, only a few months before—and he'd been punished for it. While the punishment hadn't been like torture, something another of his allies had received, it definitely hadn't been pleasant, and he wished he had never been forced to experience it. If he succeeded here and now, then he wouldn't have to worry about it later, or maybe ever again. That was his main hope.

The last time he had failed his master, it'd been on a mission to the Mabu location called the Mistlands. It was there he and an ally known as Deathmatch were supposed to take over a village, only to be thwarted by the experimental new team of Skylanders. He'd hated the sight of them, and he had hated that they would have ever allowed those such as Spyro the Dragon to join. He had been greatly shocked when he'd learned Eon had allowed the Black Dragoness known as Cynder, once under Malefor's control, to join.

But he couldn't keep his mind on that for much longer, for there was yet another mission he was going to have to accomplish. While this little man was not the most-respected villain in all of Skylands, he was still feared by many people. This little tyrant's name?

Kaos.

"When can we stop walking, master?" Glumshanks inquired him. "It's becoming tiresome to follow after you all the darn time."

"Is that what you really believe, Glummy?" Kaos asked him. "Well, I would have never believed you would think something like that. Also, please note that while you call me 'master' here, know that we both have another master…a true master."

"Yes," Glumshanks agreed in a nonchalant voice. "And if we do not do what he wants us to do, then he'll likely punish you again."

"Why do you know about that?" Kaos demanded as he whirled around upon his servant. "Who told you? I thought our master vowed to me that he would not tell anyone about that night!"

"Well, I wouldn't have known, likely, if some of our other allies didn't like to talk," Glumshanks said, "and if we hadn't all heard your screams as your punishment began. Trust me, I don't want to know what was done to you, and I'm sure that no one else wants to ever know that, but it's not exactly easy not to know anymore. That cave really echoes."

Kaos slapped a hand to his face and cursed himself. He wished he had not screamed at all, but at the time he had been unable to help it. This was one of those things that Glumshanks was actually correct on (although Kaos believed the Goblin was not right on many things, and that he and his master were right on all things). He would not tell him that, for fear that Glumshanks and their other allies wouldn't stop rubbing it in his face, and for fear that their master would punish him once more.

The creaking sound reached Kaos's ears again, and he cursed once more, but this time it was directed at the condemned ship they were on currently, trying to get over to the Skylands Realm known as Shattered Island. The longer he was on this ship, the longer he felt he would throw up.

"Let me go talk to the captain and see how close we are to Shattered Island," Glumshanks said. "I don't think it can be much longer, though, because I saw the Ruins far in the distance, with the Core of Light and everything, and Shattered Island is one of the closest areas to it, if you know what I mean."

Kaos did not do anything, not even nod, as Glumshanks finished speaking, leading his Goblin servant to leave the room and do what he was hoping to do. During the time that he was gone, Kaos began to mull things over. Thinking it all through was nowhere near easy, but it helped him keep his mind off the problems that he had faced in the last few months since his defeat and Deathmatch's demise in the Mistlands.

 _How could the Skylanders have possibly won? Everyone in Skylands knows that I am the strongest one around, other than my master, perhaps, and the fact that the Skylanders were able to defeat me is going to ruin my entire reputation!_ he thought angrily. _Never before have I been forced to retreat in the way I had to there at the Mistlands! If I don't scrape something up fast, then I'm going to be tortured. There's no other way around it. That defeat was very humiliating, and the fact the Skylanders were able to come together despite all their issues shows that I'm no match for them on my own. Maybe the master will allow me to track down Spyro and Cynder and stop them once and for all! If I could find them there at the Ruins in their sleep, then I could possibly kill them in that way! Then I would be rewarded for my efforts, and I would be considered the strongest of my master's allies! Yes, it's the only way, and it has to happen! But how in the name of God can I make it happen? It's certainly not going to be easy, and I'm sure Eon has placed a lot of defenses around the Ruins. So, how could something like this work? I'll need to think it over a little more._

 _But when it comes to this place, Shattered Island, then I'm going to need to figure out what it is that I can do while I'm over there. Once again, none of this is going to be easy, but I think I'll be able to succeed without too much trouble. Why do my thoughts seem to always be so repetitive? I guess it's just the way I was raised. Anyway, back to my plans for Shattered Island! If I can take all the Mabu down once I arrive, then I should be able to attract the attention of some of the Skylanders! They probably won't send their leaders, which is unfortunate, but it doesn't matter. I'll be able to take the others down with ease! Maybe the leaders will send Spyro and Cynder to me! Once that happens, everything will be easier!_

As Kaos thought to himself, Glumshanks walked through the decks of the ship, glad he was finally able to get away from Kaos. While things had been going a bit easier since Kaos's punishment, which had stopped the little tyrant from punishing him as much as he once had, being around him made things so difficult.

Their master had helped somewhat with allowing Glumshanks to have some control over what it was that he wanted to do, but he still wasn't allowed to leave their cave unless on a mission. This gave the Goblin much less to do, and their allies that lived in that cave with them didn't exactly help. He couldn't talk too badly about them, because they had actually done a lot to help them succeed in their next missions, but at the same time they weren't the ones whom Glumshanks believed would help them all the way to greatness. This led to Kaos hating them even more than before, and that also led to Glumshanks receiving some of the punishment that had occurred before their master had put his foot down and told Kaos to never attempt that again, so long as he was alive. That allowed Glumshanks to have some breathing room.

When he reached the top deck, he heard one of the main doors open, and when he looked around he found the First Mate, T'Elias, a rabid Canine whose species Glumshanks was unable to tell without trouble. His fur was a golden color, similar to the common color scheme of a Tabby Cat, but Glumshanks was sure that was not was T'Elias was. Drool dripped from his lips, and his eyes seemed crazed. However, the captain still trusted this Canine despite his look, and even though he looked this way, T'Elias was quite sharp. He and Glumshanks had gotten to know each other over the week-long voyage, and through their different meetings with one another, they had been able to learn a great deal from the other.

"Well, if it isn't the Goblin scum known as Glumshanks," T'Elias growled, before smiling large and wide.

"Well, if it isn't the mangy, drooling mutt known as T'Elias," Glumshanks retorted, before smiling large and wide.

Then the two of them embraced, as they felt as though they had a common distrust in Kaos, something Glumshanks had found out when the little tyrant had been in one of his drunken stupors one night. Remembering that night brought a smile to Glumshanks's face, though he knew not to ever speak of it around Kaos, for fear the rule of him never being punished again would be broken.

"What are you doing?" T'Elias asked.

"Going up on deck to see what the captain's up to," Glumshanks replied. "I'm also hoping that I can find out how long we have before we reach Shattered Island."

"Well, you don't have to wait too long for that," T'Elias said. "Come along, lad." With the rabid Canine leading the way, Glumshanks followed him out onto the top deck, where they found the captain in the bridge.

Before reaching the bridge, however, they were stopped by one of the other crew-mates, one whom T'Elias and Glumshanks hated immensely: Jones, another Canine who seemed to resemble a common Labrador, with one missing eye and one torn-off ear, both on his right side. There were many scars all over him, as well.

"If it ain't the mangy, drooling freak T'Elias," Jones said. "I should have locked you up in the brig! You have no reason to be First Mate, and everyone around 'ere knows it! So, how did you succeed in getting that from the captain, you condemned fool?"

"I think it was because I actually did something he saw as right," T'Elias replied coolly. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to have to get away from you and see the captain about something. If you don't want to take it up with me, then please, take it up with Glumshanks here. His master is Kaos, whom everyone knows is the Little Tyrant. If you don't allow us to see the captain, and if Kaos doesn't hear what it is that he wants to hear, then you might be the next to walk the plank…if you know what I mean!"

Jones growled and stalked away from them. Glumshanks couldn't help but release the laugh he had been holding in. It hadn't been because he was in fear, but because he wasn't one of those who enjoyed offending others. That was Kaos's job, not his.

"Well, hopefully we won't have to deal with him for the rest of the trip," T'Elias said. "I'm tellin' ya, Glum, these fools are wired and are ready to take me down. Ever since the captain made me his First Mate, I haven't been able to sleep with both eyes closed, if you know what I mean. Did you know, by the way, that I'm not actually rabid? I just do this to make it seem that way. I'm insane, I'll admit, but it's not the worst problem in the world. Once the captain and I get back to our main spot over near where that one big Ape's castle is, then I think we'll be done with all of this."

As he spoke and as they walked to the bridge, Glumshanks looked all around them, and he realized they were in some kind of tunnel. There were bright lights shining all about them, and giant structures seemingly made of crystal jutted from above and below. While they gave off a major glow, he knew that wasn't the only thing giving off a source of light.

Soon he realized that T'Elias was looking at him, and he opened his mouth to say something, only for the rabid Canine to smile again. "Trust me, I know it's beautiful around here," he said. "We've been going through these caves for fourteen years, and I still can't get over just how beautiful they are. The lights you're probably seeing—those that aren't given off by the huge gems around us—are Spores. Not like mold spores, but Light Spores. They give this beautiful light that I can't help but love, and I wish I could see it longer. But you know, life doesn't always give you what you always want to see, if you know what it is that I'm saying."

Glumshanks nodded, satisfied. "I've always felt like you say that last part a whole lot," he observed. "The 'if you know what is that I'm saying' part. Why is that?"

"Who knows? I think it's just who I am, if you know what it is that I'm saying," T'Elias replied jokingly. This made Glumshanks smile again, and he hoped their friendship could last forever. While he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to do that, much to his misfortune. But that did not mean that he could not try and hope for the best.

They finally reached the bridge, and before they had even reached the door that led into the interior, the captain burst out, and he found the two of them. A smile appeared on his lips. He was a Grey Wolf, and so far as Glumshanks could tell, he was a good leader.

"Captain Roarke, how good to see you," T'Elias said. "I brought Glumshanks along so that he could ask something for Kaos's benefit. Hopefully you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," Roarke said. He turned and walked back into the bridge. Glumshanks and T'Elias followed. Almost everything in the bridge was the way it had always been, with polished seasoned oak acting as the floors, walls, and ceiling, though the controls were technologically advanced. While there was a wheel, Glumshanks saw there was an Auto-Captain mode activated on the dashboard. He couldn't help but think of how much the Realms had changed since their creation. "We aren't far from Shattered Island," Roarke continued, "and once we arrive, I was just wondering: should we return to where your master is hiding? Or should we go ahead and return to our camp?"

"The camp would probably be the smartest thing," Glumshanks said. "I don't know how the master would react if you were to return to the cave without us."

"I thought we were supposed to stay at the dock in case you needed to run back on and get you out of there," Roarke said.

"Trust me, I wish that could be what you could do," Glumshanks said. "But Kaos and I aren't sure if the Skylanders are going to suddenly appear there, and if you're at the dock when they arrive—if they do—then you could be implicated in our trial. Even if we're not caught and put on trial, if they realize you're allied with us our our master, then you could be put on trial yourselves."

Roarke nodded. "I see," he said. "Well, then, that makes me realize we need to get out of here as soon as the timing is right. I don't like leaving you behind, and you and Kaos bring us perfect challengers all the time, but I'd prefer not to be found out when it comes to that."

"Good, because I'd prefer you not be around at all!" Kaos said as he walked into the bridge. "I thought I told you, Glummy, to find out what was happening, and then come back and tell me!"

"Well, I was," Glumshanks said. "It's just not as easy as you might think to get all this information and come back down below. Unlike you, not everyone here has power over Magic."

Kaos looked at him as though he had sprouted another head, then sighed. "For once, you're right," he said. Then he turned to Roarke. "Well, do you think we'll be able to get there within the next twenty minutes?"

"Less than that," Roarke answered. "If you look ahead here, then you're going to see the first main island of the archipelago."

Glumshanks did just that, and sure enough, he found that they were coming closer to the cavern's end, and just as his eyes adjusted to the sudden burst of sunlight, he found the large assortment of islands about six minutes ahead of them, from what he was able to tell.

"Perfection," Kaos said.

"Yes," T'Elias said from Glumshank's left, having moved over from his right. "And now that you've confessed all of this, the Skylanders will be happy to know what will possibly happen here. You will all be on trial soon, and I can't wait to see that done finally come."

Glumshanks looked right at his former friend and found that the crazed, rabid look he'd once had was now gone, and while the torn ears remained, his appearance was completely different.

"You condemned Jackal," Roarke hissed. "I should've known to have never trusted you, or any of your kind! But one thing I cannot help but wonder is, how are you going to summon the Skylanders? From what I can tell, you have nothing that you can contact them on. You have no device, no kind of mental ability, or anything like that. So, how is it possible for you to do that?"

T'Elias held up a transmitter. "Actually, I do have something I am able to contact them on." He looked over to where Glumshanks stood. "I know that you know that you don't really belong here. Come with me, and we can stop the reign of terror that Roarke and his cult have started! Please, you know that this Grey Wolf and your supposed masters are truly insane! I know you're not, however, and I want nothing more than to help you!"

"It's too late for that," a voice drawled, and all of a sudden, the Second Mate appeared behind T'Elias and took the Jackal by the neck. Jones snarled. "I should've known to never trust you. So, the best punishment for someone such as you…" He twisted T'Elias's neck sharply, and a loud snap sounded through the bridge. Moments later, T'Elias's body hit the floor.

"My, my," Roarke said. "I should never have doubted your prowess, Second Mate Jones. Welcome to the rank of First Mate, my friend." He held out a hand to his new second-in-command.

"My name is not truly Jones, if you must know," the Second Mate said. "My true name is Karis. Jones was just the name of a victim of mine, and I took it because it felt right."

"Perfect," Roarke said. "Welcome to the new rank."

At this, Karis took Roarke's hand and shook it vigorously. Watching this, Kaos smiled brightly, as he had believed T'Elias was too soft and friendly. _That is what led to his demise, and that is why we must disembark. I do not want another thing such as this to happen. Once we are able to get off this ship, then we won't have to worry about something like that any longer._

It took them another twenty minutes to reach the port at Shattered Island, however, because, as Roarke explained, there were great winds stopping them from getting there at the fastest possible time. While Kaos understood, despite his nature usually not allowing for him to think in such a way, he wanted to get there as soon as possible so that they wouldn't let down his master.

When they finally arrived, Roarke yelled out, "Land ho!" They made their way to the main deck, with Karis dragging the former First Mate's body. Glumshanks could not help but look at the body, which now had blood dripping from the nostrils and mouth. The Jackal seemed to still be in shock, though the Goblin knew he would never again exhibit emotion.

They reached the gangplank, and after it was set down on the ground, Kaos and Glumshanks started stepping off. Roarke watched them intently as they did so. He looked to Karis and nodded. As a result of this motion, Karis threw T'Elias's body overboard, into the eternal skies of Skylands, where the body would fall forever.

"I wish we could join you in your endeavor," Roarke said. "But we must return to the camp. Did you know that they actually call our camp a 'Cult?'" He threw back his head and laughed. "Well, they can call it all they want, but I know what it truly is, and it is no more than a camp! So, while I wish we could stick around, we must depart! There is the possibility that we could stop by the cave and report your progress, if you want."

"NO!" Kaos shouted. "Doing that is a really stupid idea! It's not that I don't want our master to know that we have been doing really well, but who knows what might happen if he realizes we played a part in a mutiny on one of your crew?"

Soon after this, the gangplank went up, and Roarke went on his way. Kaos felt this would not be the last time they saw one another, though he was not sure when their next sighting of one another would be.

Not caring to keep his mind on all of that, he instead focused on the mission at hand. If he could find someone he and his servant could terrorize, then all would be good. However, he knew he would have to deal with the possibility the Skylanders could show up at any given time. He didn't know if they had been initiated into their Elements, or who the Captains of the respective Elements were if they had been initiated. He wished he knew, but he realized he couldn't keep his mind solely on that, for he had something else he needed to get done.

"Let's be quick about it, Glummy!" Kaos said. "The master said we needed to be able to strike fear into the hearts of those around here, and now we need to find out where the main village is, so we can do what it is we were sent for!"

"Well, master, I would think the village would be over that way," Glumshanks said, turning about two-hundred degrees away from his master and pointing in the direction in front of him. "I can hear children screaming over there, and—"

"Silence! Wait, I think I know where we can find the village!" Kaos turned in the direction that Glumshanks was facing. "I think I can hear children screaming over there, and if I am correct, then we should be able to find someone we can terrorize!"

The two of them hurried that way, with Glumshanks staying somewhat behind Kaos so that he could roll his eyes without getting into any trouble for doing so. All he wanted was to be able to punch Kaos at least once, though he wasn't sure if that chance would ever come.

When they arrived where Glumshanks had heard the children, they found the village was actually a little farther away than they had first believed, and this resulted in Kaos becoming a little angrier. Despite this, he did not do anything to Glumshanks like he had done to him in the past—likely because of what their master had said about it—and Glumshanks felt quite relieved. Without the punishment, he felt that his life was slowly becoming the way that he had wanted before being forced to serve Glumshanks when his family was taken in by the family of Kaos.

The running resulted in Kaos feeling like he was out of breath, but he was able to get to the village much easier after this, and when he stepped foot on the soil of the village's main path, there was a sudden gasp. Looking around for the source, Kaos found a shopkeeper standing in the front of his shop, a young Mabu girl next to him.

"Well, well, here's someone I can terrorize!" Kaos said. "I think we've hit the jackpot, Glummy!"

Glumshanks said nothing.

"Please, don't hurt anyone!" the shopkeeper pleaded. "I'm just a lowly shopkeeper who works day and night to support his family! There's no reason for you to come in here and terrorize anyone! Please, just go! Please, just go away!" During the time it took for him to say this, the little girl whirled around and ran away.

Kaos continued walking forward, and soon enough, even though the Mabu father was doing his best to move away from him, the Little Tyrant reached him very quickly and had already grabbed him by the neck.

"You will be my slave soon enough!" Kaos hissed.

"But…you can't kill me!" the Mabu father said. "Please…I have a family! I know what your reputation is, but you have to have some kind of mercy in you!"

Kaos threw back his head and laughed. "If only that was possible for someone like me," he said. "I've been waiting for this moment for a while, and now that my master has allowed me to come back out into the world after my last failure, I'm going to be able to strike more fear into the hearts of the population!" He laughed again, but because of how he liked to overdo the laugh, the Mabu father was able to slip away, and all Kaos could do was curse himself once more for having allowed this.

He ran after the male Mabu, wishing he could have already strangled him. He got through the store, finding it was filled with knick-knacks, including snow globes and other souvenirs. While he wanted to destroy the Mabu father's livelihood at the same time, he wouldn't do it just yet, for he believed in causing the terror first.

He used his Magic to blast through a door that stood in his way and continued forward until he found the father and his family. Looking them over, he could not help but laugh. While he wanted to kill them, his master had explained to him that killing someone would only allow the suspicion to come right back to him.

"Please, I beg of you, don't harm us!" the father said. "We are just a poor family that have to work day and night in the store! We can't give you any money!"

"You know me well-enough, though, don't you?" Kaos asked. He looked to Glumshanks, who merely shrugged so that he didn't have to get into it as much. He loathed threatening others, to be honest. "I am Kaos, one of the greatest villains that has ever existed!"

"Well, you're not the very worst," a little Mabu boy said from behind his mother. "There's someone even worse than you."

Kaos trembled with rage. He sighed, trying to take the anger off, but it did not work. Cursing himself again, he raised his hand and blasted the mother in the chest with his Magic.

She screamed as she was hit, and he watched with glee as she fell backward onto the wood floor. She gasped in great pain, tears leaking from her hazel eyes.

"Please," the husband pleaded again as he knelt beside her, "just go on your way! We didn't do anything to you! Why are you hurting us?"

"Because I have no other choice than to strike fear into the hearts of those I hate!" Kaos announced to him and the rest of the family. "I may not be the worst monster in all of Skylands, but I know for sure that I am one of them! You cannot escape me, so don't even try! Just watch as I torture your wife until she gives me what I want most, which is the recognition as one of the worst in all of Skylands!"

"You'll never be satisfied in such a way!" the father said. "I won't allow it. The only thing I will allow is the Skylanders to take you down and make sure that you can never again terrorize us! When they arrive, you'll have no other choice than to surrender! Do you hear me?"

"I hear you loud and clear, but I don't think you're going to be able to summon them!" Kaos said as he held his hand up once more. Then he remembered the creature on Roarke's ship, who had summoned the Skylanders through that device he had held, and he froze. "Wait…how will you summon them?"

"Because they gave me a device to do so in the case of any danger," the mother replied coolly, despite the obvious pain her eyes. "I've already gone ahead and activated it, and they are now on their way. There is no way…you…can get…out…of this." The pain seemed to be increasing, as her breath was coming out in even shorter gasps than before, and she was groaning as she spoke.

Kaos's eyes widened, and he looked around quickly, resting his eyes for a moment on Glumshanks before looking back at them and saying, "I will get my revenge! Nothing you can do will prevent me from getting what I want most! Not even summoning the Skylanders!"

With that, he turned and ran out of their home, running through the store and reaching the outside. Just as he reached that spot, he heard voices approaching him. Looking around for a moment, he saw Glumshanks had followed him.

"What do you think the call could be?" came the familiar male voice that struck fear into his heart. Spyro, the Purple Dragon who had freed Cynder from the control of Malefor and helped defeat him and Deathmatch in the Mistlands.

"Who knows?" another voice replied, and Kaos recognized that voice as Sunburn, the Phoenix-Dragon Hybrid. "I'm just glad we get to help the people around here."

"True. I've never had any problems with anyone in the village, other than that one weird kid," a female voice chirped in, and Kaos believed that was Sonic Boom, the black-feather Griffiness.

"You mean Quigley, right?" That was it; that was the voice he had been fearing most. The voice of the Black Dragoness that Spyro had freed from Malefor's corruption. If Cynder was here, then that meant…she was a Skylander.

Kaos looked around himself again, hoping to find where they were approaching from, and saw their shadows appear from the west. He looked to the east and ran behind a barrel. Glumshanks followed him once more.

He watched as the Skylanders approached, and he could not help but wonder how Cynder had been allowed to become a Skylander. It just didn't seem right. After all, she was a monster, and all the other Skylanders had to know that by now.

"Help! Please help!" Kaos heard the voice, and he recognized it as that of the Mabu father. "My wife is injured! She needs medical attention!"

Kaos heard the footsteps, and he guessed by this time that the Skylanders were inside the home. At this moment, he decided that he and Glumshanks needed to get out of there. He did not think it was a good idea for them to stay there, or they might be discovered.

"Let's go!" he hissed to Glumshanks, who merely nodded and continued to follow him away from the scene. They would have to commandeer a vessel to get back to their cave, but he knew it would be easy once he found a good one.

Now that the Skylanders were around once more, though, the one thing that he knew for sure was that there was going to be trouble, and while he did not want to have to face the Skylanders again, he could not help but feel that there was a part of him that welcomed it.


	5. The Shadow Golem

**Please note that this chapter, too, takes place before the meeting in the first chapter. It takes place before it by about two months.**

* * *

 **Chapter Four:**

 **The Shadow Golem**

The two Felines could not help but wonder what it was they would find down in those caves. They'd gone in there a few times, but hadn't explored them greatly. However, because of those few times down there, they believed they were ready for yet another trip.

Though they were from Felinia, they had come to Charmed Ridge after the wedding between the Fairy Princess Ami and the Felinian Prince Azrael. While they were common folk, they still knew the Princess and her Prince quite well, having once met them in a local coffee shop.

"So, what do you hope to find down there?" Bertemius asked.

"Not sure," Ernieus replied. "Maybe some gold? I heard about a lot of it down in the mines, and while those have collapsed, maybe we'll be able to find some in these caves?"

"Maybe. But I wouldn't be surprised if we found diamonds instead. They're much more common in caves like the one we're about to explore. Prince Azrael has seen these caves before—he told me. But he didn't tell me about what else he might have found in there."

"Sounds good to me, though," Ernieus said. "I've been waiting to cave-dive for a while now, and the fact we're able to do this again makes me really happy. I don't know why there haven't been more who have gone down there."

"I've heard it's because many of them believe in this strange spirit," Bertemius explained. "The thing is, I don't believe in things like that. I've found that believing in those kinds of things means you open yourself up to a whole lot of weird crap."

The two of them had been putting on their gear while talking, and once they were finished with the black suits and the placing of the flashlights upon their heads, they walked out of their apartment, which was surrounded by walls of red stone, along with cold, white granite floors, and adorned with posters of their heroes, including the Skylanders.

They had never met the Skylanders before, but they knew their Prince and his Princess had met one of them, because he had saved all of Charmed Ridge from the Sorceress. At the time, many had believed Azrael was attempting to steal the Princess away, only to learn the two loved each other. Both had only been teenagers at the time, and while it hadn't been very long since then, they had not been around, living in Felinia instead.

A knock sounded at their door, and Ernieus bounded over to open it. He found Prince Azrael standing there. "Good morning," the Cat Wizard said. He looked around and saw what they were wearing. "Are you planning on going spelunking?"

"Yes," Bertemius said. "We're going down into the caves."

"Well, I want to remind you to be very careful," Azrael said. "There have been many accidents down there, and if you both are injured, then I am not sure I will be able to forgive myself. I vowed to your families that I will keep you safe as long as you are over here, and they would not be happy if you were to suddenly go missing."

"Well, fortunately, we are very experienced in this field," Ernieus said. "I've been trying to beat my old record of getting down to the bottom of a cave. The record is ten minutes and forty-one seconds."

Azrael sighed. "Well, I guess I cannot stop you from going," he said. "But just remember, if you get into any trouble, use those coins given to us by that friendly Bear."

With that, Azrael turned and walked away, leaving the both of them to themselves. As he walked away, Azrael could not help but wonder if he should accompany them. He'd seen many accidents occur in spelunking expeditions, and he did not want anything to happen to them. As a result of these thoughts, he turned back towards them and walked to them.

"I will accompany you down there," he explained to them. "Because of the stories I've heard of accidents that have occurred down there, I do not think it would be right for the both of you go alone, and if something horrible were to happen to one of you, then I'm not sure I would be able to forgive myself. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind," Bertemius said. He looked to Ernieus. "What do you think?"

"I've always wanted our Prince to accompany us somewhere other than the palace," Ernieus said. "But what will Princess Ami say about this? She will likely not allow you. If she does not want you down there, then I will not be too disappointed, knowing how much she wants you to be safe."

"Well, Ami will not know about this," Azrael said. "She wanted me to get out of the palace and do something that doesn't involve working with our council, among all that other serious stuff. I will admit, I do need a break, since all of that has given me a bit of a headache."

"Well, fortunately for you, we have extra spelunking gear," Bertemius said.

Within the next ten minutes, Prince Azrael had been able to dress in the spelunking gear, complete with the headlight. He added to his companions, however, "We could just use our Magic, if need be." This resulted in a laugh from all three of them.

After this, they left the room and hurried through the apartment building, running down the stairs and making their way to the front doors of the complex. As they were about to leave, the doorman said to them, "Another trip, Prince?"

Azrael turned and found the doorman staring at him with some disgust. Something seemed wrong about the doorman, though he was not sure exactly what it was. Maybe it was the mismatched eyes (one blue, one orange) or the drooping whiskers, but Azrael felt there was definitely something wrong with him.

"Is there something wrong?" Azrael inquired.

"Well, all I know is that you are a strong supporter of the Skylanders," the doorman replied. "And everyone knows the Skylanders are the greatest nuisance known to all of the Forgotten Realms."

"Well, I am sorry that you feel that way, but all I know is that one of the Skylanders are the ones who allowed this Realm to flourish. Had Spyro not helped us, then maybe things would have gone horribly. I knew him for only a short while, but it is thanks to him that I was able to be with my beloved Ami. If you have anymore problems in such a way, then please, let me know. I would very much like to hear your side of things."

With that, they walked past the doorman and acted as though they had not spoken to him at all. While Azrael could not see out of the back of his head (even though he wished he could, just so he could see the reactions of those he shut down, as well as if there was anyone who would attempt something on him), he imagined the doorman's expression to be one of extreme anger.

"You might have to pay for that one later," Bertemius said.

"Maybe," Azrael admitted with a smirk. "But for now, let us not worry about this. All that matters now is that we do what we came to do, and that is have fun. I've dealt with many worse things, so there is no need to worry."

Bertemius nodded, and they continued walking. It took them another twenty minutes to finally reach the cave in which they would be spelunking. As they made their way there, Azrael took in their surroundings. He had always been interested in the extremely red sunset that now took place. It did not seem natural, but then again, in a world like Charmed Ridge, not much was natural anymore. There were patches of grass and dirt around them, as well as broken marble towers and other constructions that showed just how old this Realm was.

"Well, here we are," Ernieus said, breaking Azrael's concentration. "So, before we go in, one thing we should note is that it is best not to make too much noise in there, because it is possible we could cause everything to fall in on us, and I'd prefer not to be trapped for three years or so. I'm sure you understand that."

"I don't know where you came up with the idea of us being trapped in there for three years," Azrael said, "but I will let you know that the idea of being trapped because we made too much noise is actually not at all true. Many of my soldiers and advisors have gone down in there and stupidly tried to see if that was the case, and all their 'tests' came back negative. So, I just wanted to let you know that, Ernieus. Now, let's get in there and do some exploring. I'll have you know this is my first time going into these caves, and I do not want my experience to be at all ruined by just standing outside the entrance."

With that, Azrael continued into the cave, retrieving his grappling hook from his side and preparing to use it to rappel to the bottom. Setting it in place on a sturdy piece of granite near the edge, he looked around him and found the walls of rock that now surrounded him were of a beige color, though the ground beneath his feet was pure white. While it was intriguing, he felt he could not waste anymore time, or they would not be able to explore as much as he was hoping to.

After ensuring twice more that the hook and line were secure, he sighed, then began his descent to the bottom of the cave, turning on the headlight in the process so he could see if there was anything there blocking his path or anything that could potentially be dangerous.

Once he made it to the bottom, he found the walls were now the same white color the ground had been above him, while the cave floor was strewn with what looked to be grass, though some of it also resembled straw or hay.

It took another five minutes for both Bertemius and Ernieus to make it to the bottom, which made Azrael a little more on-edge, as he felt they were still wasting more time than they needed to. He wanted to see if there were any interesting cave paintings in here. While he'd heard reports from his advisors, he wanted to see for himself if those rumors were true. If they weren't, then he would be disappointed, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

"Well, we started at the top, now we're here," Bertemius joked, which drew a glare from Azrael, and he saw Ernieus doing the same. "I'll say, these caves have always been extremely interesting to me. However, I've never gone very deep into the caves, so I'd like to see more. What do you think you will do, my Prince?"

"I'll do the same," Azrael said. "I've heard stories of cave paintings that depict meetings between many races and also objects that were of great value to them. If I can verify for myself that they are true, then I will be able to leave here a very satisfied individual."

"Well, you're in luck, because those rumors are true," Ernieus said. "If you follow me, I can show you one that no one has been able to explain. There are also rumors that they have become more vibrant in color, and less faded than they first appeared. That is what I would like to be able to check on. If that is true, then I will want to see why that is."

"Maybe because it's a false painting?" Bertemius suggested. "Paintings like those don't just become more vibrant in color or less faded over time. There must be a much more logical explanation for that."

"Well, I'd still like to see them," Azrael said.

"Then follow me," Ernieus said.

Azrael did as such, and they walked for what seemed to be another fifteen to twenty minutes through the dark caves to reach the paintings. Along the way, Azrael found there were, indeed, other cave paintings than just those that were suggested. They seemed to depict the rise of Charmed Ridge, with the Fairies meeting some unknown race that seemed to have arrived by boat many years before the Felinians had arrived. Azrael wanted to explore these, as well, but as he was following Ernieus, he did not want to break away from him, and his want to see the others was still very great.

After a long time, Azrael finally found that Ernieus had stopped ahead of him. He reached his friend and ally soon and stopped, as well. He turned where Ernieus had now turned his gaze and looked there at the wall in front of him. It was now a black color, like the color of obsidian. Upon it were many drawings, all of them white. However, as he looked at them, it seemed to him that other colors were now appearing, and after a while the wall no longer appeared black as obsidian. Instead, it seemed to become as white as an opal, and the drawings were full of color, including purple, black, red, violet, blue, and green. It took him a while to finally realize what the drawings depicted, but when they came into focus, he was amazed even more.

They depicted a creature that was the same color as the wall had been before its sudden and unexplainable shift to white, made of rock and holding some kind of gem in its palm. It stood upon a grey cliff, and below the cliff was a congregation of what appeared to be Elves. From the green color their skin possessed, Azrael guessed they were Woodland Elves. Behind them was a city in flames, with cracks spread across the ground beneath the Elves' feet.

"My God," Azrael said, realizing what it was that was depicted upon this wall. "That's the Viridian Kingdom. It was damaged twenty or so years ago by a creature that was black as obsidian. But why would it be depicted here?"

"I don't know," Ernieus said. "I suppose you, too, have now seen the full look of the paintings? Well, thanks to you, we now have an idea of what was depicted here." He looked back to the painting. "What else is there?"

Looking over the rest of the wall, one thing Azrael did find were the words, "Heritizas Jeklis."

"What does that mean? And what language is that?" Azrael asked.

"No idea," Ernieus admitted honestly. "It's not any language we're taught at the University."

As they spoke in that area, Bertemius stood in another, looking over a specific spot that he was sure had not been there before. He had been looking for a crevice he'd found about three weeks before, and he had wanted to crawl through to see what there was, but as he looked for it now, he could no longer find it. Instead, what he did find was an alcove that contained something he had never believed he'd see in a cave like this: a suit of armor. Or rather, a depiction of one, made of what looked to be stone.

"Interesting," he said to himself. He was about to call over his shoulder for the Prince and his best friend, but then decided he wanted to see this all for himself. He guessed it was a kind of selfish thing for him to do, but then he shrugged. _I was the one who found it, so there should be no problem with it whatsoever,_ he thought.

He moved closer to the depiction of the suit of armor and examined it, noticing strange markings over it that seemed as though they'd been carved into the stone. Instinctively, he touched them, just so he could know for himself. That was a mistake he wished he'd never made in the moments that passed after this.

As soon as he touched the stone, the depiction suddenly moved. It reached its left hand out to him, and for a split-second, Bertemius had no idea what he was supposed to do. He felt that any sudden movement could cause the depiction to attack him, while standing still could spell his doom just as much. As a result, he was forced to do some quick thinking, which resulted in his decision to run for it.

This was the wrong decision, however, for the depiction gave chase. Bertemius screamed, hoping to get the attention of Ernieus and Azrael before the depiction tried to kill them, too.

His tactic worked, and when they heard him scream, they were about to come to his aid, only to find he was quite near them, having run as fast as he possibly could. Unfortunately, the depiction was just as fast, and it was right behind him.

"What is this thing?" Ernieus inquired.

"It looks like the ancient suit of armor that the soldiers within the ranks of the early settlers of Charmed Ridge once wore," Azrael answered. "That was long before the Fairies arrived and took over, and by the time they had settled, the old civilization had gone missing."

"Why is it trying to kill me?" Bertemius asked.

"What did you do that caused it to do this?" Azrael retorted.

"I touched it!"

"That explains a lot," Ernieus muttered.

As they spoke, they backed up as much as they could, hoping to get away from the depiction. Soon, however, they found this did not work.

It had caught up with them, and it was now preparing to strike them down. Cursing beneath his breath, Azrael prepared to draw from his warren of Magic, though his mind was clouded with so many other thoughts that it became extremely difficult for him to do so.

"We'll have to fight it," he explained to his allies. "It's the only way we can still survive. This thing is strong, from what I can tell, and it's quick for its size. That makes this all so much harder."

Just then, as Azrael finished, the depiction drew a sword from the stone sheath on its right hip. The sword was made of diamond, however, not stone, which made this situation that much more dangerous.

It swung the diamond sword at them, and Azrael did not have enough time to do so as a result of the fear that had gripped him without warning and rooted him to that very spot. But Ernieus was able to get past this fear, and he pushed his Prince away from the depiction. As a result, the sword cut through his left shoulder, tearing the suit and the flesh beneath it. It was a deep gash, deep enough for a great fountain of blood to spray from it and splatter upon the painting of the black creature on the wall.

When this was over, the depiction stopped its assault on them and became still once more. The three of them looked at it, wondering what could have caused it to stop what it was doing. But soon after, Azrael took advantage of this to inspect Ernieus's shoulder. He saw a great deal of blood leaking from the wound, and bone could be seen very clearly. Ernieus was clearly in great pain, groaning every few moments and drawing in breath through his gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry," Bertemius said. "I didn't mean for this to happen!" Looking to him, Azrael saw tears leaking from his eyes. The Prince sighed.

"This is not your fault," he told him reassuringly. "Anyone could have touched the depiction out of curiosity. You couldn't have known about what might happen. There's no more need for you to worry about it, though, because we are going to be getting out of this. Do you hear me?" Bertemius nodded. Then Azrael looked to Ernieus. "We're getting out of this, Ernieus. You need to nod so that I know you can hear me. Do you hear me?" Ernieus nodded, and then groaned again as Azrael poked into the wound to examine its severe nature.

All of a sudden, a _WHOOSH_ erupted through the air around them, ruffling their fur and causing Azrael to look at what might have caused such an effect and sound. What he saw shocked him, as well as scared him.

The painting of the black creature terrorizing the Viridian Kingdom was glowing again, having turned back into its original black color. But all around it was a white glow that intensified each second that passed after.

Soon, Azrael was forced to cover his eyes as a blinding white light burst from the wall. After uncovering his eyes, the Prince of Felinia and of Charmed Ridge allowed his jaw to drop open.

Standing there before him was the creature depicted in the cave painting. It was made of black rock, which resembled obsidian, and white symbols stretched across the whole body. Spikes jutted from its back, the sides of its head, jaw, arms, and legs. What seemed to be black smoke billowed off its body. Its eyes were luteous, its mouth illuminated by the red light within. It looked right at Azrael soon after with extreme disdain.

"Felinian," it growled, the slightly distorted voice that of a male's. "You have summoned me. But how? How did you free me from my prison? I—" He stopped as he beheld the great deal of blood leaking from Ernieus's shoulder. "Ah, I see. There was a blood price, it seems."

"Who are you?" Azrael demanded. "What are you?"

"My name is Zelophehad, and I am a Shadow Golem," the creature replied coolly. "I was imprisoned fifteen years ago by a monster more evil than some might believe me to be. Through the years, since I do not need to feed or drink in order to survive, I have waited and planned an escape, but nothing I attempted over those fifteen years worked, and so I gave up. But now I have been freed, and it seems it is thanks to my soldier. He has been turned to stone, but the Magic within him kept him alive until at least this moment. That is what I needed, and thanks to your friend, all is right again. Now, I can return to my earlier plans. I tried sending depictions of myself around the Realms, but I am not sure they were able to do the job. Even so, I am now free, so I no longer need to use my Magic solely on mere images." Looking Azrael and the other two over, he smiled. "I must regain my strength, however, and there is only one way I can do that. I must take your life-force from your body, and the only way _that_ can be done is for me to kill you. I'm sure there's no problem with that. No one will mourn for you."

Before anything more could be done, before Azrael could attempt to get Ernieus, Bertemius, and himself out of the cave, the Shadow Golem rushed forward and grabbed hold of Bertemius. He attempted to struggle, only for Zelophehad to slam a heavy hand into his gut and chest. Blood gushed from his mouth as a result of the force of the punches.

Azrael could do no more than watch as Bertemius's life was sucked right out of him, causing the curious Felinian to scream with all his might. When Zelophehad finished, Bertemius's corpse dropped to the cave floor, shriveled and deformed. It could not even be told from what remained that it was once Bertemius, or even that it was once a Felinian.

"My strength is almost replenished," Zelophehad said, relishing in the new power that Bertemius's life-force had given him. "I only need one more, and I do not know which of you to choose."

"Ernieus, run," Azrael said. "Get out of here as fast as you can, and do not turn back! I will sacrifice myself to give you a chance! Now go!"

The Prince jumped in front of Ernieus and offered himself to the Shadow Golem. "I am the one you want most. Now take me, and let him live!"

Zelophehad laughed, the laugh angering Azrael greatly. He felt himself be grabbed by the shoulders, and he waited for his life-forced to be drained from his body completely.

But that never came.

Instead, he was thrown into the wall. When he landed, he registered a broken left arm and blood leaking from his head, mouth, lips, and nose. He found he was very close to unconsciousness.

Zelophehad turned his attention to Ernieus. "Are you the same as he?" he asked. "Or will you give yourself to me?"

"If it means my Prince will live, then I will do what I must," Ernieus said. He looked to Azrael. "I am sorry, my Prince, but if you will live as a result of my actions, then so be it." He looked Zelophehad in his luteous eyes. "Take me."

Without another word, Zelophehad took Ernieus by the neck and did just as he wanted. When the life-force had finally been drained from his body, the Shadow Golem squeezed his neck, breaking it. Then he threw Ernieus's body to the ground and stomped on it, sending blood flying all over the cave.

He took one more look at Azrael, and without another word the Shadow Golem lumbered out of the cave.

The pain in Azrael's head was increasing. He could not help but start sobbing as he realized both his allies were deceased. He had hoped to keep them safe from harm, but now everything had gone south, and there was no more that could be done. They were dead, exactly what Azrael had hoped against.

 _This is all my fault,_ he thought.

Blood entered his eyes and clouded his vision. He wanted to wipe it away, but found that he could not do so. As a result, he had no choice but to close his eyes. Once he had, all went black, and he thought no more.


	6. Proposals

**Chapter Five:**

 **Proposals**

Sunburn waited for Sonic Boom down at the beach. There were many things he wanted to talk to her about, though he was not sure how he was supposed to word them exactly. He had wanted to ask Spyro for advice, but decided against it, wondering if that would allow Sonic Boom to know what it was he wanted to talk to her about most, since Spyro would likely tell Cynder, and Sunburn didn't know if Cynder could keep a secret. Since she and Sonic Boom were best friends, he worried that she would reveal it to her.

He heard footsteps behind him, and he whirled around with glee, expecting it to be Sonic Boom, only to be disappointed as he found Slam Bam standing there, his four arms crossed and an angry expression present upon his ugly face. Sunburn wanted nothing more than to slap him for how he acted around and towards Cynder, but at the same time he did not believe that was the best course of action.

"What are you doing here?" Slam Bam demanded.

"It's a free beach, and I am a Skylander," Sunburn replied hotly. "I have every right to be on this beach as you do. I could ask the same, but no matter how much I dislike you, I'm not going to. There's no reason for me to be a piece of crap towards one of my own allies, no matter how annoying or wrong towards others they might be."

Slam Bam growled. "I know why you're mad at me," he said. "You don't like me very much because of how I act around that freak, Cynder. I hate her, and do you know why? It was because of her that Whirlwind was injured down there in the Underworld. Had she kept a closer eye on my friend, then maybe I would be her friend, as well. The only good thing I can say about her is that she's not that bad-looking, honestly. Of course, not only am I a Yeti, but she and Spyro tied the knot, for some stupid reason. He honestly should have told her to get as far away from the Ruins as she possibly could because of the fact she gave information to Deathmatch over in the Mistlands."

"No matter how much you dislike someone, that doesn't mean you have to continue being a piece of crap to them," Sunburn retorted. "I dislike you greatly, and it isn't just because of how you act towards Cynder. From my experience, you're also just arrogant and rude, and there are times where I seriously wonder what in the name of God Eon saw in you and some of the others that were recruited. Still, you're one of my allies, and you did good work back in the Mistlands despite some of what you said and some of your actions, so I have just a bit of respect for you. Don't expect that to make you all right in my book, though, okay? If you keep talking to Cynder the way you have in the past, you might soon have to experience my wrath, and that's not something you'll want to face. I was born in the center of a volcano, somehow, and I am not one to hold back when it comes to attacking my enemies. I hope you understand that."

Slam Bam was obviously angered by this, but he did not say anything more to Sunburn, and instead stalked away. Sunburn hoped that, one day, his heart would change, and he could come to see that Cynder was a great ally who could be trusted. But until then, Sunburn would stick up for her around the blue four-armed Yeti.

Not long after Slam Bam left, Sunburn saw Sonic Boom was beginning to approach him from the other side of the beach. She passed by the angry Slam Bam. Sunburn watched him closely to make sure that he did not do something to her, as it was common knowledge that Sunburn and Sonic Boom were a couple. Fortunately, nothing bad happened, and Sonic Boom was able to continue on her way.

"Hey," she greeted with a big smile as she came nearer to him. "What's up with Slam Bam? He seems angry."

"I had to talk to him about the way he acts around Cynder," Sunburn answered. "He didn't like it at all, but I knew someone besides Spyro needed to talk to him about it, and not in front of everyone else. He'll probably really hate me now, too, but it's worth it to protect my best friends from that kind of a personality."

She nodded. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, I was just wondering…you know how we've been in this relationship for a while now, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we should get a little more…serious."

"What do you mean?"

Having prepared for this for quite some time, and having taken pointers from Spyro for such an occasion as this, he quickly uncovered the emerald he had asked Trigger Happy to find the last time the Gremlin and Captain of the Tech Element had gone into the Arid Mines near Stonetown. When Sonic Boom beheld it, she gasped, and Sunburn saw tears form in her eyes, which were the same color as the jewel.

"Sonic Boom, will you be my mate?" he asked her. "For now and all eternity, will you spend the rest of your life with me?"

She looked at him, and for a moment it seemed that she was unsure of what she should do. However, Sunburn guessed that was just something he had imagined, for a moment later she had thrown her arms around him and was crying tears of joy.

"Yes!" she replied with a great burst of happiness. She started laughing, and Sunburn knew he had accomplished what he felt was the greatest challenge he had ever faced. "I would be honored to spend the rest of my life with you, because you are the one who makes me the happiest!"

Sunburn handed her the emerald, which was attached to a chain so that she could wear it as a necklace. "I got the idea for the jewel that matches your eyes from Spyro," he explained to her as they lay near one another a few minutes later. "But I never told him or anyone else about this. I just wanted this to be our day."

"Well, now that we've decided," she said happily, staring into his eyes and smiling brightly, "why don't we go and tell Spyro and Cynder? They're the only ones who really deserve to know for the moment, don't you think?"

"Yes," Sunburn replied with glee. He got up and helped her up. "Let's go, and quick, before anyone else sees us like this. We don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone else."

"I'll just say I was given this as a present for my birthday," Sonic Boom suggested. "It is in two weeks, after all. Did you plan for this to be done like that?"

"Yes," Sunburn said. "Because I was guessing you wouldn't want the surprise to be spoiled so early. Everything worked out easily, fortunately. Now the only thing that remains to be done is finding out when the lifemate ceremony should be held."

"We'll figure that out when the time finally comes," Sonic Boom said, caressing his right cheek with her left paw. "Just remember, we are about to go on another mission, so there is still that."

"That was also in mind when I was planning this," he said. "Of course, while there, we're going to have to be extra careful. I don't want you getting hurt at all."

"Understandable," she said. "Now, let's go. We're wasting time, and the more time we waste, the more chances more of the Skylanders will be able to learn our secret."

Sunburn nodded. "To make things easier, let's just fly over," he suggested. "Then we'll have less chances to make a mistake, know what I'm saying?" In response, she nodded.

They did just that and hurried over to Spyro and Cynder's treehouse. Before entering, they knocked. "Come in!" Spyro called out. They did so, and when they entered they found Spyro and Cynder looking over a map of a land that neither Sunburn nor Sonic Boom recognized. "Hey, it's great to see you!" Spyro said. "Also, that's a beautiful emerald. Actually…" He looked at Sunburn, then at Sonic Boom, and he seemed to make the connection. "It matches her eyes…kind of like how the sapphire I proposed to Cynder with matched hers…" His voice trailed off, and soon a great smile stretched across his face. "Wait, did you…?"

"Yes," Sunburn answered.

Cynder gasped, smiled, and ran over to hug Sonic Boom. "Congratulations!" she said. Then she hugged Sunburn. Both of them hugged her back. Spyro walked over to hug them, as well.

"Great job," he said to Sunburn. "How did you find the emerald, by the way?"

"I asked Trigger Happy to find one for me when he went to the Arid Mines near Stonetown," Sunburn explained. "I said that it was my favorite gemstone, and he didn't seem to know the truth behind what I was asking for. It all worked out in the end."

"Well, I couldn't imagine a better pair," Cynder said. "I mean, other than Spyro and I, but you get what I'm saying."

Sonic Boom laughed. "Yes, we do," she said. "And I was hoping you would be my Maid of Honor, Cynder."

"Of course!" Cynder replied. "You were mine, so I can't wait to repay you for all the help you gave me during that time!"

"And would you be my Best Man?" Sunburn asked Spyro.

"Do you even have to ask?" Spyro said.

After another quick round of hugs and repeats of "Congratulations," Sunburn looked over Spyro to see the map. "What is that a map of?"

"Those are the Forgotten Realms, and the many paths that lead to and from them, as well as the Realms that mainly intersect or those that surround it closest," Spyro said. "We're trying to figure out a way to travel to them without arousing too much suspicion. We have an idea there's a great evil there, and we don't want them to know we're coming. So far, we think we've found a path, but to get there at a good time, I think we're going to have to leave tomorrow. Do you think that's a problem, or is this the best course of action?"

"I think it's the greatest idea," Sunburn said. "So, where exactly are we going to have to land?"

"We'll probably start in Sunrise Spring, and then make our way to Midday Gardens, before finally arriving in Evening Lake. From there, we should travel to a few of the other Realms, like Fireworks Factory. Then we can find a way into Charmed Ridge. The portal might be watched by whoever is threatening those who inhabit it. So, we need to be as careful as possible. That's why it's fortunate all the Realms are interconnected, and not just through the portals in Evening Lake. I'll explain more on the way."

"Well, then, since it's nearing that time, Sonic Boom and I are going to get dinner, and we should probably get ready for bed not long afterward," Sunburn told Spyro and Cynder. "How long will the trip be?"

"A while," Spyro said. "So, you've got the right idea."

Sunburn and Sonic Boom nodded again. "Well, then, we'll plan out the main details later," Sonic Boom then said. "For now, let's act on those other plans of ours, eh?" She smiled at Sunburn, and not long after, the two of them headed off.

Once they were gone, Cynder turned to Spyro with a large smile upon her face. "I'm so happy for the both of them," she said. "It's so awesome that they're going to have a lifemate ceremony! Can you believe it?"

"I'm happy for them," Spyro said. "As much as I want to keep my mind on it, there's also all of this going on."

"Maybe you should take a break," Cynder said. "Your eyes are bloodshot, and you also have dark circles starting to appear under them. I'm not sure if I have the same problem, though, so maybe I shouldn't be talking."

Spyro looked at her eyes and found that the problem was not there for her. But if it was there for him, then perhaps she was right. Then again, of course she was. It wasn't that she was always right, or that she had the idea that she had to be, it was just a coincidence that she always knew what to say.

"All right, I'll take a break," he said. "Doesn't mean I want to, though."

"I know, but working as hard as you do isn't always a good thing. We need to all take breaks whenever we can. We have the idea, and all that's left is telling everyone else."

Spyro took one last look at the map. "Wait a minute," he said. "I think I might actually be finished." He touched the map with the index claw of his right paw and traced a line along one specific path. "Holy crap, this is the way we need to go. It'll lead us right to one of the main worlds of Sunrise Spring!"

"Really? What would that be?"

"The Alp. It's where an old friend of mine lives. I think you remember when I told you about Sheila."

Cynder nodded. "The Kangaroo. I remember her. So, we'll have to go through there, and then through Sunrise Spring."

"Exactly. Then, from there, we'll have to get to Midday Gardens. One of the Realms interconnected to Evening Lake is Enchanted Towers. It's an annoying place, but I think we should be able to deal with it—too bad we won't be able to go to the skateboard park while there, though. Truthfully, I haven't been back since I found you to recruit you for the Skylanders."

"I remember you telling me about that. So, we'll go through there. Then, that'll get us to Evening Lake?"

"Yes, but we'll have to go through another of the Realms in order to get into Charmed Ridge without being noticed. That Realm will be Fireworks Factory. I love that place, honestly, so that won't be such a bad thing. At the same time, when we get to Charmed Ridge, things aren't going to be easy. But as long as Kaos doesn't appear there, that's all that matters. We don't need him to complicate things with our battle agains the Shadow Golem."

Cynder nodded. "So, should we get all the Skylanders together, then?"

"Yes."

* * *

Stealth Elf sat at the edge of her bed, still finding it hard to believe that a piece of her past was coming back to haunt her in such a way. She was afraid that she would have to face Zelophehad, for she had seen how easily had had been able to take her father down. If the same were to happen to her, then she wasn't sure what would happen next.

There was still the issue of getting to the Forgotten Realms, so there was that, but she was certain it wouldn't be long until someone found a way to do so. When that happened, she was still unsure of what would happen next.

Another thought that crossed her mind was, how did Zelophehad get from the Viridian Kingdom to the Forgotten Realms? She guessed he had also found a way to get over there, likely looking for another place to—

She realized with a jolting realization why he had gone to the Forgotten Realms: the Heretic Jewel. _Ignavus must have sent it there!_ she thought. _And Zelophehad found out about that, somehow! But how? How is it possible? Holy crap!_

She got off her bed and hurried out of her treehouse. She needed to talk with Cali first, then with Spyro and Cynder.

After bounding through the row of treehouses, she found her way to the healing tent, where she found Cali sitting on a stool, a notebook in her lap. She was writing something in it.

"Stealth Elf?" Cali said when she saw the Life Captain enter the tent. "Thank God you're here. I found something out a little bit ago, and you're not going to believe it!"

"What is it?" Though she wanted to talk to Cali about the situation she was in, she still did not want to be rude.

"The Mabu mother who came in…she revealed to me who she was injured by," Cali said. "And you're not going to believe this, but…it was Kaos!"

Stealth Elf's eyes widened. "Kaos? Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," Cali said. "I don't know how it happened, or why he didn't kill her despite having the chance, or why he did it in the first place, or why none of the Skylanders we sent over saw Kaos when they were there, but she says she was injured by Kaos, and her family all say that she's telling the truth."

"So, Kaos is back, and he's causing even more trouble," Stealth Elf said. "Well, that's not the only news that's been learned recently. I—" Before she could say anything more, Flashwing burst through the tent's flap.

"Oh, sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to interrupt you at all. I was just told that I needed to tell you something, Cali."

"No, it's fine," Cali said, though Stealth Elf did not think it was fine. "What is it, Flashwing?"

"It's Spyro," she said. "He said that there's a meeting that's mandatory for all the Skylanders that's about to happen. I was told by him to come and tell you. Not sure what it's about, but it sounds urgent."

* * *

Kaos walked across the courtyard of the castle ruins he had been able to find, Glumshanks standing not too far from him. The castle had once belonged to an ally of his, but it had been destroyed long ago. There was another they had once stayed in, one that had housed one major battle that led to another, and that one still stood but was not used as a result of the unfortunate memories that plagued them as a result of those events.

He felt a buzz in his head, and he knew exactly what it was. When the distorted image conjured through Magic appeared, he saw the outline of another of his allies, which he knew well from having been around them for so long.

"You did well, he says," they told him. "But there's still one major problem. The Skylanders seem to be onto a new mission, and we can't allow them to succeed this time. It involves a Shadow Golem known as Zelophehad, and if you can find him and become his ally, then all of this might be much easier. Now, that doesn't mean you should tread lightly around him, for he does not truly believe in the idea of allies or friendship. Then again, come to think of it, neither do we." This caused them to laugh.

"Where is this Shadow Golem?" Kaos asked. "And just remember, this had better not be a major waste of my time!"

"Well, if it is, then there's nothing more you can do about it, now is there?" his ally replied in a literally cool voice. "We have received word that he escaped from his prison in Charmed Ridge, and it is there that we believe he means to make a home for himself for the time-being. He probably wants to turn it into a land that he can rule, but it is known he can't do that without some kind of an army. While he was an enemy of ours, at one point, that does not mean we shouldn't try to offer him help in this endeavor of his. Charmed Ridge is a world that contains a wealth of knowledge about Magic, and if we can tap into that knowledge, and the resources they will allow us to know, then we can take advantage of the rest of Skylands, as well as the Forgotten Realms, Avalar, and all the others! I hope this is making sense to you, Kaos. If not…"

"It is," Kaos retorted. He hated talking with this ally, for their voice got on his nerves easily. "So, I need to find a way to get to the Forgotten Realms, Evening Lake, and finally Charmed Ridge. Got it; but wait, did you say the Skylanders were going there, as well?"

"Yes, and we believe at least one of them has a connection to Zelophehad. It's not Spyro or Cynder, that we do know. But we're not sure who it is at the same time. So, that will be something you'll have to learn for yourself. Just remember, this is a mission that you cannot fail on. We need to try and befriend Zelophehad for the time-being, because he also has a great wealth of Magic within him, and if we can help him take over Charmed Ridge and the Forgotten Realms and get into his good graces, we might be able to then double-cross him and kill him! From there, we would take his Magic and use it to accomplish our goals!"

"Sounds like a good idea, but is _he_ the one who asked you to tell me this? Or did you just do this because it's only what you want? I've known you for a while now, and that really wouldn't surprise me."

"I wouldn't be telling this to you if he hadn't first told me to do so. Going behind his back is suicide for anyone, especially us. So, what needs to happen next is for you to get to Charmed Ridge and strike a partnership with Zelophehad. But before you do, come back here and take control of your army that will help you to accomplish your goals. Remember, we are relying on you, and if you fail, you will face consequences no one else in the universe has!"

"Well, this all sounds very tempting! So, I think I will do as I am asked, and I think it's about time that I get to lead my own army! Seriously, though, what took you so long to give me that kind of a chance? I've been helping him far longer than you have, so don't tell me that you have more authority than I do!"

"While I would love to, I know that's not the case here. But the reason you haven't been given such a chance before is because of your constant track record! You have lost many times before, and so that is why he did not want to send you this time. He knows what's best, though, so I did not argue with his decision, even though I think it should have been me leading this part of our army! Anyway, since you have your orders, I think there is no more reason for this connection to be held. So farewell, Kaos, and remember: Do your best not to fail this time around!"

When the conjured image was gone, Kaos could not help but let out a cry of achievement. He was ecstatic that he would be leading this army into battle against the Skylanders. Deathmatch had led them last time, which Kaos had not understood, but this time it would be he who would lead his master's forces, and that was all he needed to know that he had truly succeeded and risen higher than any of the other allies who worked for his master.

He looked to Glumshanks. "Pack my bags!" he ordered the Goblin. "We're going to the Forgotten Realms!"


	7. Travel to the Forgotten Realms

**Chapter Six:**

 **Travel to the Forgotten Realms**

"You have to be kidding me!" Warnado called out from the third row. "We can't just suddenly leave the Ruins! What if some of our enemies come and destroy the Core of Light while we're away? If that were to happen, then the Darkness would take over Skylands! Surely you're not that stupid!"

"Here's the thing," Spyro said. "We can't do this alone. Even though I have been to the Forgotten Realms and I have gone through Charmed Ridge before, that does not mean this will be like another stroll in the park or a walk down the beach. We are treading into dangerous territory! The enemy that we are about to face is a Shadow Golem named Zelophehad. I have been told there is a possibility he is after something called the Heretic Jewel. If he gets his hands on that…then who knows what might happen." The last part of this was spoken under his breath, but he repeated it for all to hear just so it didn't seem like he was trying to hold something back from them. "Look, I realize that we're taking a major risk, but we have no other choice than to go and help the inhabitants of Charmed Ridge. From what I have been told of this Shadow Golem, he might be one of our greatest opponents, and if Charmed Ridge is to fall to him…then he might start to conquer the rest of the Forgotten Realms, then make his way to Skylands. But we shouldn't allow him to get here, because if he does, then things might not go well for us, and even if we were to win that fight here, who knows what the cost might be. So, this is the only resort we have left. We're leaving tomorrow morning at eight, whether you like it or not."

Once he had finished, he sighed and walked away, Cynder on his right side, hoping to get back to the treehouse. Behind him, he'd heard silence, followed by an uproar. But Spyro didn't care. All that mattered to him was getting sleep before their early morning.

Before he and Cynder could make it to the row of treehouses, Stealth Elf and Cali were able to catch up to them. "Spyro, we have some news that you're going to want to hear," Cali told him.

"What is it?"

"The female Mabu you saved in Shattered Island…she revealed who her attacker was," Cali said. "Kaos was the one who assaulted her and her family. She said he escaped not long before you all arrived."

"So what are you saying?" Spyro asked. "Do you think Kaos is going to try and get in our way for this mission? I mean, he has no idea that we're about to leave the main part of Skylands and go to the Forgotten Realms, so I'm not sure how that would work out."

"Nor do I, but he's always had some tricks up his sleeve," Cali reminded him. "The fact he escaped from us after the Mistlands proved that. So, don't be too shocked if he suddenly appears without anyone having any indication of when he might show up."

"Well, you're not wrong there, but I just don't get why he would travel all the way to the Forgotten Realms just to try and fight us. It feels petty, even for someone like him."

"That doesn't mean a thing, Spyro," Cynder said. "We both know villains who have done extremely petty things no matter what the consequences might have been afterward. Kaos is one of those people who would do something petty, and if you ask me, a lot of that is so he can compensate for his short stature."

While Spyro smiled at the joke, he did not see the same expression on Cali and Stealth Elf's faces. He looked to Stealth Elf. "Is there something you wanted to say?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. "Thank you for not revealing…you know."

"I've had to hide quite a few secrets in the past, so trust me, I know what I'm doing," Spyro admitted to her.

"Also, how did you know that he might be after the Heretic Jewel?"

"I kind of pieced it together from what you told me. I mean, that doesn't mean that that's what he's after, but there probably isn't any other reason for him to be in the Forgotten Realms, least of all Charmed Ridge, is there?"

She shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just hope we get there with enough time to spare."

"We will," he assured her. "Trust me."

With that, Spyro and Cynder parted ways from them and returned to the treehouse, where they crawled into bed and attempted to sleep before their long journey the next morning.

Looking back on those events, Spyro still found it crazy they were actually doing this, that they were going to travel to the Forgotten Realms. While it had only been a few months since his last trip there, he felt it was too soon to return, especially when it came to going through Evening Lake.

He and Cynder stood near the dock, waiting for the airship to appear. It was to be piloted by Flynn, a Mabu who acted as the chief transporter for the Skylanders. After being told what was happening, he was ecstatic to let the Skylanders try out his new airship, which was fortunately big enough to hold every Skylander.

"Hopefully he gets here soon," Spyro said, and Cynder could tell that he was impatient. "We really need to get moving. We're wasting a lot of time here."

"You need to be patient," Cynder told him. "I know how important this is, but impatience isn't going to make things any better. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience when it comes to this."

He sighed. "You're right. I've just never been on the clock like this, even through all the adventures I had before I became a Skylander."

It didn't take very long after that for the rest of the Skylanders to appear, along with Cali and Hugo. Only moments after, the airship, piloted by Flynn, appeared. It was over one-thousand feet in length, certainly enough to hold all the Skylanders. "I'm finally here!" he announced in his "macho" voice. He landed the transportation and anchored it, then allowed the Skylanders to begin boarding. Spyro and Cynder went first, with Spyro allowing Cynder to go just ahead of him, and they were followed by Sonic Boom and Sunburn.

After boarding, the four of them walked through one of the halls, seeing how the floor was made of a polished golden tile and the walls a slate-grey metal they could not identify. Looking behind them, Spyro found Cali, Hugo, and Stealth Elf had now joined them.

"Let me show you to the rooms," Cali volunteered, and they went down two more hallways before reaching one with at least ten doors lining the walls. "Since there are so many of us, we're going to have to share rooms. Three to five per room is what I would suggest, though you could probably fit more."

"Then Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Cyn, and I will take this room," Spyro told her.

"That's perfect," she said. She opened the door to the first room on the right for them. "Go on in. I think Hugo, Stealth Elf, and I will share a room, as well." She looked to the two of them. "Does that sound all right to the both of you?" They both nodded in response. "Well, let me show the rest of the Skylanders to their rooms, and then I'll get into my room with them. I'll be seeing you all later."

Once they had entered the room, Cali shut it behind them. Looking around the room, Spyro saw it looked the same as the halls before it, though there were two beds and dressers now in there, as well as a closet. "Not the worst living space when it comes to transportation," he said. "Fortunately, we can share beds with one another."

"How long will it take to get to the Forgotten Realms?" Sonic Boom asked.

"A while, which is my only problem," Spyro said. "Of course, this thing flies faster than I do, so there is that upside to everything. The last time I went there, I took a balloon to get me there, and even then, it wasn't as quick as I could have been flying, which is why I flew back. Sure, I was exhausted when it was done, but it was worth it."

"Why are they called the Forgotten Realms, though?" Sunburn asked.

"Because a thousand years ago, Dragons used to live there, but they were banished by this evil being known as the Sorceress, a Dinosaur who was hellbent on living forever. Of course, she had no idea that banishing Dragonkind would actually cause the Magic in the Forgotten Realms to dry up. When I went over there and saved all the Dragon hatchlings and stopped the Sorceress for good, some of the Dragons moved back, and the Magic returned. So, things got a lot better. Of course, when it comes to this mess in Charmed Ridge, who knows how bad it's going to get. I trust those in that Realm well, but they aren't the most friendly at the same time. But Prince Azrael of Felinia and Princess Ami, a native to Charmed Ridge, both liked me, so that's probably why we'll be on good terms with them when we finally arrive."

He looked around the room again, then said to Cynder, "I think I'm going to go talk with Cali real quick. I'll be back later, though, so don't worry." He kissed her, which she returned. Then he left the room, leaving her alone with Sunburn and Sonic Boom.

"I will say, this is all pretty stressful," she said. "I wish he would sit down and relax, but his impatience is getting the best of him, and one thing I know for sure is that's not a good thing."

"Well, when he comes back, you should make sure that he lies down and rests before we arrive," Sunburn told her. "He needs to keep his strength up. If what I've heard about this threat is true, then he's no laughing matter, and we all need to be prepared for what's about to come."

"I'll probably tell him that, and he'll not be the happiest camper," Cynder said, sighing. "But at the same time, I can't fully blame him. I know things aren't easy for him, and as a result, I know that there are times where he's overly stressed. This is definitely one of those times. Honestly, though, he's not the only one. However, I shouldn't say anything about that, because the one whose information I would divulge without their permission is the who should tell you, if you understand."

"Loud and clear," Sunburn said. "It's like, you want to tell us, but you know you'd be hurting your friendship if you were to do such a thing and they found out."

"Exactly."

As they spoke in the room, Spyro walked down the halls. He had gone to Cali's room to talk to her there, only to learn from Stealth Elf that she had left and gone to the bridge. And now, here he was, in this hall, trying to find it. It took him another few minutes until he finally found it. When he arrived, he found Cali there, talking to Flynn, who did not seem to be piloting the airship, even though Spyro could tell they had now taken off. He found himself very surprised at this, as he hadn't felt the take-off.

"Ah, Spyro, it's good to see you," Cali said. "I hope everything has been settled in your room."

"It has," he replied. "I wanted to talk to you, if that's alright. Flynn can stay here—actually, shouldn't you be piloting the airship, Flynn?"

"It has an autopilot feature that's the state of the art," he said. "Yep, this baby purrs like a kitten, and boy am I happy that I'm the one who gets to pilot it!"

After hearing this, which made Spyro feel slightly strange, he turned his attention back to Cali. "I really think this is one of those missions where we have to be as careful as possible," he explained to her. "Our mission in the Mistlands was major, I know, but this one is even more dangerous. From what I was told, this Shadow Golem seems like he might be one of our greatest enemies. Not to mention, if he gets ahold of this Heretic Jewel, then things could get even worse for us. I'm just not sure how everything is going to work out, and that's why I'm telling you so that I can know you'll help me the best you can to ensure that everyone around us stays unharmed."

"Well, I have to admit that that will be a really hard thing to do, but I know it can be done, so there's no reason for you to worry," Cali said. "I know what Stealth Elf told you, but to be honest, I'm not sure if this Shadow Golem truly will be as strong as he's implied to be. Now, that doesn't mean I'll underestimate him. To be honest, I underestimated Deathmatch, and look at what happened out there in the Mistlands. Let's just be glad that ordeal is over, and all the Skylanders have now been initiated."

Spyro nodded. "Trust me, that mission was hard," he agreed. "That was also the mission where Cynder and I first revealed our love for one another, not long after Deathmatch beat her for information. He lied that she had given him information on the Skylanders, but it was obvious he was lying, since not only do I know Cynder would never do that, but I also know she didn't know enough herself to be able to divulge such information."

"That makes sense," Cali said. "I heard that she gave some away, but after hearing this, I have to admit that all of those ideas thrown around by some of the Skylanders seemed a little far-fetched. Of course, most of those were initiated by Slam Bam and his posse, so I don't know what you're supposed to expect when it comes to him."

Spyro nodded. "The way he talks to Cynder at times just makes my blood boil. I want to hurt him for what he says to her, but I know that'll jeopardize my position and make others turn against me, possibly. Plus, he's good when it comes to being a Skylander, so I can't just throw him out, you know what I mean? I just wish he would stop talking to her in such a way, because it sets me on edge every single time."

"I think that's what he's trying to do." Cali looked at Spyro with compassion. "The best thing to do, besides ignoring him—which I know doesn't always work, trust me—is to actually talk to him about it. I know it's not going to be easy, but I also know Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy are two of your closest friends, and Gill Grunt can surely talk to him, as can you. Plus, if he steps out of line, Trigger Happy can just shoot him in the butt again, like he did back in the Mistlands."

Spyro laughed. "Yeah, true. I do wish I had seen that, but hey, I was still having one of the best moments of my life, so it wasn't too bad of a thing to miss it." He found all his tension was beginning to dissipate, and he felt thankful to Cali for helping make that happen. "Well, I think I'll go back to my room. I wish there was more I could say without retreading what I've already gone over, but for the moment, I can't. So, if I think of anything, I'll talk to you later. If not, then I'll still talk to you later, but about something else."

With that, he turned and exited the bridge, making his way back to his room, where he could lie down, sleep with the love of his life, and talk to his best friend and his soon-to-be mate.

As he walked, something came to mind, something that he wasn't sure if he should do. He would definitely have to talk to Cynder about it, but as he thought about it, he realized it would help in the upcoming battles they were likely to be facing. But he knew for sure that going over the idea with Cynder first was the best option before enacting upon the idea. If he didn't talk to her about it first, then it would be a great breach of trust, which he had vowed to never allow so long as he was married to her.

Finally reaching his room, he opened the door slowly and found Cynder, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom lying on their respective beds. Cynder looked at him as he approached her, and for a moment Spyro wondered how he was going to be able to get her to concede.

"Hey, Cyn, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" he asked her. "It's just something important."

"Sure." She got off the bed and walked to him. Once she was out the door, Spyro smiled at Sunburn and Sonic Boom, then closed the door behind them.

"Cynder, I think…I think we should tell them about…you know…" he began, but she quickly raised a paw to stop him from continuing, which he found surprising.

"I know what you're going to say, and I want you to know that I agree," she said. "I know it won't be easy for me to tell them that kind of information, but that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to let others know the truth about me. So long as they are the only other ones besides Hex and ourselves, then that's what matters."

"I agree wholeheartedly," he said, then kissed her.

Together they walked back into the room, where Sunburn and Sonic Boom seemed to have been waiting patiently for them.

"So," Spyro said, "we have something that we think we should tell you. It's not going to be an easy thing for either of us to say, but it's better that you know now rather than later. Please know that the only other ones who know about this are Hex and Eon."

He sighed, looked to Cynder, who smiled at him to let him know it was fine for him to go on, though he could see she was also very nervous.

"As you know, I knew Cynder before she joined the Skylanders. But what you don't know is how we first met. You see…" He sighed again. "Cynder used to be one of my enemies." This led to a shocked expression from both Sunburn and Sonic Boom. "Years ago, before she hatched, her egg was taken by the forces of the Dark Master, an evil Purple Dragon whose real name is Malefor. When he took her egg—mine, meanwhile, was saved by Nils, the King of the Dragon Realms—he waited for her to hatch, and then he corrupted her." Sonic Boom gasped at this. "When I grew up, after I had helped to save the Dragon Realms, as well as Avalar and the Forgotten Realms, I was told of my full past, and of Cynder. I set out, not to find her, but to stop Malefor from finishing one of his plans. Along the way, I encountered Cynder several times, and in this form she was much larger than before, about the size of an adult Dragoness. We fought once at a castle, only for her to escape to this strange world where I battled her for the last time. It was there that I fought her again, and that was when I freed her from Malefor's corruption. It wasn't easy, but I did it."

"The reason I had a limp and the scar under my eye when you first met me," Cynder continued, "was because Malefor broke my leg and slapped me before he escaped. I wish he wouldn't have escaped, that he could have been defeated, but…I guess it's not good to live in the past. At the same tim, having a secret like this is one of most painful things. I want to tell people the truth, so that they don't judge me, but at the same time I don't know how they'll react. The only reason Hex knows…is because she faced Malefor, as well. She defeated him in the Underworld, but that battle turned her into the Dark Elf Witch that you see today. I know you might look at me much differently now that you know my past…but I hope…" She gasped, and tears rolled down her face. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry. It's just…it's not easy."

In response to this, Spyro was about to hug her, but Sonic Boom beat him to it, hugging her hard and close. She said to her best friend, "The fact that you were this brave to tell us, even though it hurts you to do so, shows that you are amazing. I don't judge you for anything that you might have done, because I know it wasn't under your control. You are the greatest friend I've ever known, and I will not leave your side. You have to trust me on that."

Sunburn came over and touched Spyro's shoulder, looking at Cynder as he did so. "You both are brave, and I thank you for telling us this," he said. "I think we both can thank you. I'm guessing you're telling us this because you think it might be revealed during one of our missions, don't you? I remember Kaos saying a few things during our mission in the Mistlands, and how you both shut him up those times."

Spyro nodded. "We didn't want anyone else to know of it. It's not that we don't trust anyone, we just don't know how they're going to take that kind of information. We want to trust them, but what if they take it the wrong way and try to do something that they'll definitely regret afterward? So, yes, that's it. I think there will be a day where we will tell the other Skylanders about this, but until that day comes, I don't think it's good for them to know it, especially from how those like Slam Bam have spoken to Cynder."

"Understandable."

Spyro sighed again. "I think it's time that we get some sleep. It'll definitely take a while for us to get to the Forgotten Realms, but when we do, we're going to have to be extremely careful. I don't know what kind of tricks our enemies will have up their sleeves, and I don't want to take any chances with any of them, especially this Shadow Golem. If what I've heard is true, then he could be just as bad as Malefor. That's not something that I want, but as Skylanders, we're going to have to learn to deal with it. It's just the way things work around here."

The four of them g0t into their beds and laid down. Surprisingly, it didn't take very long for Sonic Boom to fall asleep. When she did, Sunburn looked to Spyro and Cynder and said, "Thank you for telling us the truth. I know it wasn't easy, but one thing you have earned from me is true respect. Not many would be willing to do what you did, and that's why I think Eon chose the two of you to be the leaders of the Skylanders: you both are some of the most honest people out there, and if it hadn't been for the either of you, then things would certainly have changed by now, and it seems as though they wouldn't have changed for the better."

"The one thing I want more than anything is to find where Malefor has hidden himself," Spyro explained, "but at the same time, I'm not going to go crazy over that. While I want the threat to be over, I know that the time will come when it comes. Now, for all I know, Hex succeeded in killing him. Just because he got away from her doesn't mean he's still alive. So, maybe I'm worrying over nothing. But we should always be ready for what's to come, especially with this mission."

Sunburn nodded. He looked to Cynder. "I'm just wondering, how did it feel when your corruption ended? I'm sorry if I'm going too far into it, because I know this is an extremely touchy subject for you, but I just wonder what it would have been like to be under that kind of control, only to be taken out of it like you were."

"It was interesting," Cynder said. "I can't fully remember what the corruption itself felt like, though I know pieces of it. However, I remember the sensation of being removed from the darkness that was keeping me in that form. It honestly felt like a warm shower, with the sensation of relaxation and relief spreading over me just as hot water would. Besides that, I don't remember much in the way of it all. However, one thing that it did to me was that it took away my body heat completely, which makes me extremely susceptible to cold."

"Any kind of cold weather?" Sonic Boom said. "Even autumn?"

"Yes."

"But wait…you two spent your honeymoon in Winter Tundra. How did you deal with that?" Sunburn asked. "It just seems…"

"Insane," Spyro finished. "Fortunately, we stayed in a spot where it was warm, so there wasn't much to worry about then. Whenever we did go outside, she worse a coat to protect her, while I also played a part in helping her keep warm."

Once that conversation was over, Cynder finally decided she was going to rest. She wanted to feel spry for their upcoming mission, and she knew not sleeping wouldn't help that. She placed her head on the pillow at the head of the bed. She felt a blanket be draped over her, and soon, she had drifted off into the realm of dreams.

As she did so, Spyro took one last quick look over to her, caressed her neck, and kissed her cheek. He vowed right there and then that he would do his best to ensure that she would not be injured on this mission, and he knew he would not fail in that.

* * *

Cali had pretty much given up over the idea of getting Flynn to stop flirting with her. He had done so continuously ever since their first meeting three years before, and it was now becoming one of the most annoying things she had ever been forced to experience.

She now sat in the cafeteria of the airship, looking over training tactics for all the Skylanders in general. It was not an easy job, having to train them, but she took it in stride, believing it would help them greatly in their missions, from this one to all those that came afterward. The only problem she really faced was trying to find time to train them. The last time she had trained any of them was two days before Hugo's morning meeting, the first time where any of them had learned of the threat to the Forgotten Realms, especially Charmed Ridge. Not training them was very unhelpful, and she hoped they would be willing to learn from her. She felt like many of them were much less willing nowadays, and she had no idea why that was.

She supposed that she had been a little harsh with some of them, especially Spyro and Cynder, but then, she had only done that because she had needed answers on where Eon had gone. She still wanted nothing more than to learn his whereabouts, but at the same time, she respected that he wanted to be away from them. For all she knew, he was watching them right now and no one even knew it. While it was also a creepy thought, it wasn't the worst idea she had.

"So, Cali, do you want to try and see who can go the longest in a staring contest?" Flynn suddenly said from behind her, and she couldn't help but sigh. "I mean, I would probably win when it comes to that, but I would still be willing to try, know what I mean?"

"Flynn, I know you're in love with me, but the truth is, I don't want anything to do with you," Cali said to him. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I have to let you know this here and now because, either way, your feelings would be hurt. Letting you know now is better than never letting you know."

"Ah, say no more," he told her. "I get it. There aren't very many who can resist my temptation, but I guess you're one of the few. Of course, I still won't give up with you. For all I know, you're just delaying the inevitable."

Cali sighed again, finally getting to her feet. "Do you know how long it will be until we get to the Forgotten Realms? Hopefully not long, because there aren't enough food resources to last us all for long, which is why we need to stock up once we arrive at Sunrise Spring and the other Realms in and around it."

"We still have about twenty hours, but the good news is that we have no known traffic coming our way, and many of us are going to be sleeping later tonight, so those few hours will go by a lot quicker than you might think."

"Thank God," Cali said. "Well, I might as well go and prepare what rations we have, because I know many of the Skylanders will be hungry sooner or later. If you want to join me, then you can, but for God's sake, please stop trying to get me to be your girlfriend. I don't want to break your heart, but I do want you to know that I am not interested in a relationship with someone like you!"

"So, does that mean you're interested in a relationship with someone else?" Flynn asked. "Because there's no competition as to who's better-looking, you know?" He posed and said, "BOOM!"

Cali walked away quickly, only looking back to say, "Just remember to never say that to Sonic Boom. She hates that nickname."

"Got it."

With that, she left the bridge and hurried to the galley. When she arrived, she saw about twenty tables assembled throughout it. In this room, the walls remained the same, but now the floor was made of white linoleum instead of the tile before it.

She heard commotion coming from the back, and she decided to inspect it.

When she arrived in the back, she found Hugo.

"Oh, there you are, Cali!" he said. "I was hoping to see you again, because I could really use your help! I was thinking I could start making the food for the Skylanders, but I soon found out that that was a really bad idea, because I could have nearly burned this galley down had I continued boiling that food! Fortunately, it was nothing important."

"What was it?"

"Sugar and water."

"You boiled sugar and water?" Cali exclaimed. "Are you serious? What did you think was about to happen? You can't just boil those! It'll do nothing! But wait, how did you almost burn it down? Boiling sugar and water can't cause a fire."

"Well, then, I don't know what I did wrong," Hugo said. "I just wanted to be nice, but I can see that what I was doing was wrong. Maybe I should leave this all to you."

"That would probably be a good idea," Cali said. "I'm thinking of meatloaf as the main meal tonight, with a few other meals along the way so that those who don't want meatloaf can get what they want. We still have twenty hours, so there's a lot left for us to do, you know?"

"Sure."

"All right. Now, go get me the meat kit so that we can start on this. And Hugo…"

"Yes?"

"Just be careful. We can't afford for you to be injured."

* * *

 _Memories flashed through her mind. They were of the day and night after the Viridian Kingdom was threatened by Zelophehad, after Ignavus had sent the Heretic Jewel away to parts unknown…after her father had died by the Shadow Golem's hand._

 _They were in a meeting room found in the local library. A soft, green carpet covered the floor beneath their feet, and the walls were made of some black material. Bookshelves and books were all around them. Ahead of them were two mahogany doors that led into the main part of the library. Where they were now, the records of the Viridian Kingdom were kept. Above them hung a chandelier that was at least fifty feet from top to bottom._

 _"What do you mean, you don't know where you sent it?" her mother had demanded of Ignavus as the Viridian Kingdom's ruler shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, which was made of the same mahogany as the doors, bookshelves, and the oval-shaped table they sat around._

 _"What I'm saying is, this is something I just don't know," Ignavus told her. "I used my Magic to ensure that the Shadow Golem couldn't get his hands on the Heretic Jewel, but that doesn't automatically mean I know exactly where that Magic might have sent it. All I know is that he will never be able to find it for as long as he continues to exist. So, there's no reason for you to worry yourself."_

 _"No reason?" her mother had said. "I lost my husband, the love of my life, as a result of that attack! My daughter is now without a father! You have no right to say that there is no reason for us to worry ourselves, because there seem to be plenty of reasons to worry right now!"_

 _"Look, I understand your anger, but you have to realize that I was only acting in the best interests of my Kingdom!" Ignavus defended. "If I hadn't done that, if I hadn't sent the Heretic Jewel away from where we stood, and that Shadow Golem had been able to get his hands on it, then all Hell would break loose, and there would be no more reason for us to live! He would have destroyed all the Viridian Kingdom, and there would have been even greater casualties than just the death of your husband! Yes, he was a good friend of mine, and I shall mourn him for the rest of my days, but even you must realize that I did the right thing, that if I had not done what I did, then more would have died, and this entire Kingdom likely would have been destroyed! Please, understand this and hear me out. I know what you are going through, because I lost my family in a very similar way, only that was because of that horrid Dragon and his dark forces! If it had not been for him, then I am sure none of this would have ever happened! My sons died in the battle against him and that evil creature he had with him, and my wife died of a broken heart not too long after. So trust me, I know what it is that you are going through currently. Despite all of that, we must stick together and try and find our way through the mess that has been left in that Shadow Golem's wake! He may be gone for the moment, but that does not mean that he will not be back! When he does return, then we will have to be ready. We cannot allow ourselves to be caught off-guard, or we might suffer yet another situation like this, and it will likely end up as something even worse. So please, just hear me out! Please! If you hear me out, then I assure you that it will all be worth your while, and once you hear me out, then you will never have to listen to me every again! Just hear me now, please!"_

 _Stella's mother had conceded, and Ignavus still continued to rule the Viridian Kingdom, even though many believed he was the one responsible for what had happened._

 _Little did he know that Stella lay on her belly on the balcony above, having been placed there by her mother and told to be as quiet as possible. Tears silently flowed down her cheeks as she continued to mourn her father._

Now, looking back at everything, Stealth Elf was surprised something had not happened to him, that a rebellion had not suddenly occurred and forced him to step down as their King.

A knock sounded at her door. She walked to it and opened it, soon finding Cali, who looked exhausted. "Cali?" Stealth Elf said. "What is it? What's happened?"

"Nothing, other than cooking food for all the Skylanders," the Lynx-like Mabu said. "I was trying to do something nice, so I did it. It's been over an hour since I started it, and I started with help from Hugo. But you should know, if you ever get help from someone like him, then he will make mistakes. No matter how much those mistakes set you back, don't get on to him for it. He's fragile, unfortunately, so getting on to him would be like setting off a bomb. All the food's almost ready, we just have to wait a little longer when it comes to some of it. But, despite all of that, everything's going pretty good. I think I finally got Flynn to stop hitting on me, which is something I find good. If he hits on me again, I think I'll punch him."

"I've never had anyone hit on me before, so I wouldn't know what that's like," Stealth Elf said.

"Well, then, you're extremely lucky. Being hit on by someone that is so full of themselves is not something that you're going to want to experience. So, if that does happen, then get out of there as soon as possible. You never have any idea what their motives might be until it's too late."

"Interesting. But, I'll probably never have a relationship for the rest of the time that I am part of the Skylanders, so I probably won't have any problems such as that."

"Then you're lucky. Anyway, I'll give the Skylanders another hour to sleep or relax, and then it'll be time for dinner. Hopefully they don't mind meatloaf, because that's our main meal, unfortunately."

"As long as there's something good to drink with it, I think I'll be able to force it down."

Cali nodded. "I'm pretty sure there will be, so there's no need to worry about that. Anyway, I'm going back to make sure everything's ready. I'll wake everyone else up when the time comes, so don't worry yourself about that. Hopefully, when all this is over, we won't have to deal with anymore of the crap our enemies have put us through. I know it's good for us at times to have to put ourselves to the test, but after a while, doing that can really put a strain on you."

"I understand that completely, but I don't see an end in sight when it comes to our missions," Stealth Elf said. "As the protectors of Skylands, we can't just let all the inhabitants deal with the evils that wait for them in all the darkest parts of the land. We have to fight for them, and we have to make sure they know someone's got their back."

After nodding again, Cali slowly slipped out of the room, and it was then that Stealth Elf continued to think about the prospect of facing the Shadow Golem again. While she certainly wanted nothing more than to be able to take down the monstrous creature that killed her father, she wondered just how much it would take to accomplish such a feat. The Skylanders were many in number and accomplished when it came to strength, but just how powerful was Zelophehad, truly? That was something she did not know, and at the same time, she did not want to know. However, she also knew the time would come when they would have to face him, and possibly even an army. While he had not had an army when he appeared in the Viridian Kingdom, that did not mean he was alone in his endeavor to find the Heretic Jewel and likely take over Skylands with its power. He probably had dark forces he used to accomplish the things that he could not do all on his own. Yes, that made sense. When they fought them, Stealth Elf wondered just how strong those enemies would be.

She finally sighed, knowing it would not help if she did not at least rest a little. She did not want to fall into the realm of sleep, but she felt as though it was calling her name, and soon enough, the lids of her eyes were starting to droop. Further and further they went, until they had finally closed. She did not fall asleep as soon as this happened, instead staying awake long enough to think, _When the time comes, I will fight him. Until then, however, what matters most is having faith._

* * *

A knock sounded at the door. Spyro's head shot up, not knowing for a quick moment where he was. When he finally remembered, he quickly shook his head to get the fog left over from his slumber out of it. He looked down at Cynder, who was stirring as a result of the knock, as well. Looking over to where Sunburn and Sonic Boom lay, he did not see them stirring, which meant they were either heavy sleepers, or they just did not care.

Getting out of the bed, he walked to the door and opened it. He found Cali standing there. "I just wanted to let you know, dinner's ready," she said, and then she walked away without another word.

"All right, thanks," Spyro said, pretty much to himself.

"I guess that means it's time to get up," Cynder said from behind him. He looked back to her and saw her yawn, which caused him to yawn, as well. "Hopefully it's something good to eat, because I'm starving."

"I know what that feels like," Spyro said. He hurried over to Sunburn and Sonic Boom and touched Sunburn's left shoulder. When Sunburn at first stirred, Spyro repeated the touch, but this time it was more firm. Finally, Sunburn's eyes snapped open, and he looked at Spyro as though he had three heads. "It's time for dinner," Spyro told him. "Just wanted to let you know, since I know how much you love food."

Spyro then returned to Cynder, who now stood at the door, waiting for him. They exited together just as Sunburn shook Sonic Boom awake and told her the same thing Spyro had told him.

When Spyro and Cynder reached the dining hall, they found a great deal of food set out for them, including meatloaf and steak, with water and other drinks lined up on a table across the other side of the room. There was no one else in there but Hugo and Flynn.

"It's good to see you," Hugo said. "Please, help yourselves. I'm sure the others will soon be on their way, so it's better if you do everything before them."

Spyro and Cynder did just that, piling their plates high with food. After seating themselves at the table nearest the entrance, Spyro left Cynder at the table to get water for the two of them.

Just as he started on his way back, Cynder heard footsteps echoing through the halls behind them. The individuals to whom the footsteps belonged to appeared soon after.

After another five or so minutes, all the Skylanders had joined them. It didn't take too long for all of them to get their food and drinks and seat themselves where they wanted.

Those who sat at the table with Spyro and Cynder were Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Trigger Happy, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, Cali, and Hugo, while Hex floated nearby. By this time, most of them were used to Hex doing this, though some of them felt creeped out by it, including Hugo and Gill Grunt.

"So, you've been to the Forgotten Realms before," Trigger Happy said to Spyro through a mouthful of chicken. "What's it like?"

"Well, there's definitely a lot that you can do there," Spyro said. "While we won't be able to see it all, in Sunny Villa there is a skateboard park. It used to be one of the colosseums, but the inhabitants decided to try something new, and that was what came about. Other interesting places include Seashell Shore, which is pretty much a very large beach. Now, that's just in the first of the four Homeworlds in the Forgotten Realms, Sunrise Spring. In Midday Gardens, you have Enchanted Towers, which is one of the locations where we're going. That also has a skateboard park, but we won't be able to go there, unfortunately, because we just don't have the time. Spooky Swamp is another good Realm, as is Bamboo Terrace. Midnight Mountain is the fourth and final Homeworld, and I'll admit I'm not a fan of some of the Realms there. However, Dino Mines and Crystal Islands aren't too bad. Annoying at times, but not too bad all the same. The Realm we need to go to, though, is Evening Lake, and because of the fact that's our main stop, we probably won't be able to go to Midnight Mountain. In Evening Lake, though, there's a castle in the middle of the lake, most of it submerged. There's also a whale there, though I have idea how it survives. It once tried to eat me, but that was how I found one of the Dragon Eggs that had been stolen from the Dragon Realms. We need to go into Charmed Ridge, because that's where we're going to find what we need. That is where this Shadow Golem is, and we need to take him down. We also need to make sure he doesn't get his hands on the Heretic Jewel. I don't mean to put such a damper on things, but we have to realize at times that not everything is fun and games. The fact that there is an evil out there that could be greater than Kaos…well, maybe that's not as difficult to believe as some would think, but you get the idea. We need to be ready for what's to come. I know I can trust you with that, so there's no need for me to worry, right?"

"You have my word that I'll be on my best behavior," Trigger Happy said. "I'll only go crazy when the battles come, because that's when it matters. Otherwise, I'll act as mature as possible without becoming someone I'm not."

Spyro smiled at this. He looked to Cynder, who had been eating quietly throughout the whole dinner. "You okay?" he whispered to her.

"Just tired," she admitted. "I haven't been getting the best sleep over the last few weeks. It's not anything major, I just can't sleep as well as I want. So, please don't worry."

"No, I know what you mean. I think I might be going through the same thing," he said. He cleared his throat, then returned to talking to the others. "We'll also be meeting up with a few of my old allies. One of them is a Kangaroo named Sheila, another is a flying Penguin named James Byrd, then a Yeti named Bentley, and finally, a Monkey named Agent 9. If all goes the way we need it to, then we're going to be teaming up with them, so just keep that in mind. However, I'm not completely sure about teaming up with Sgt. Byrd or Agent 9, but Sheila and Bentley are the two I know for sure we'll see, since their Realms will be needed in order to sneak into Charmed Ridge."

"I have to admit, this sounds pretty cool," Gill Grunt said. "Let's just hope this Shadow Golem isn't too powerful."

"Well, he is quite strong," Stealth Elf said. She sighed. "Look, I wanted to keep this away from most, but I realize I can't do it for much longer. You see, I've seen the Shadow Golem we're about to face. Years ago, while I was in the Viridian Kingdom, we were threatened by Zelophehad, who wanted nothing more than the Heretic Jewel, which we had at the time. The King of that Realm, Ignavus, sent it as far away as possible, and Zelophehad escaped, but not before killing my father." She cleared her throat, and Spyro could tell she was holding back her tears. "He is going to be a great threat for all of us, and that is why we need to make sure we are ready for what is to come. As has been said before, this is no laughing matter. We are about to face an enemy who could probably kill any of us with one blow, just as he killed my father. Keep on your toes, and trust in one another. That's how we're going to beat this. If we are divided in any way, then we will fail easily, and that is not something we can afford to do. I realized, also, that Zelophehad is likely in Charmed Ridge to find the Heretic Jewel, because even though Ignavus sent it away, that doesn't mean that it can't be found again. I don't exactly know what kind of power the Heretic Jewel is capable of, but I do know it has to be something strong and powerful, because I am fairly certain Zelophehad wouldn't be after it if it wasn't. That seems to be the same for all the villains we've faced, but that's probably for good reason. Now, I don't mean to lecture you, and I am sincerely sorry if I came off like that, but I just wanted to let you know the truth. I wanted to tell many of you earlier, but I didn't know what would happen. So, anyway, there you go. That's all I have to say."

When she had finished, Spyro realized it was completely silent in the dining area. It seemed that everyone had picked up on what Stealth Elf had been saying, and they had all stopped eating just so that they could listen. While he wasn't sure what to say, he knew that he trusted Stealth Elf, and as a result of that, he was going to support her all the way through this, no matter what.

"That was brave," he told her. "Not many would have been able to do that, but you did, and that shows just how strong you truly are. That is why I will trust you throughout this journey, until the very end."

In response, every Skylander present, as well as Cali , Flynn, and Hugo, began clapping. Stealth Elf looked genuinely surprised, and soon that surprise turned into happiness. Spyro looked to Cynder, who was smiling and clapping, as well. It seemed now that everyone understood what they were about to face, and now all those present knew they wouldn't be alone, because they had one another.

The rest of the night went well, with Spyro, Cynder, and the others eating and drinking well and heartily. Soon enough, Spyro realized that he was till tired, and he looked to Cynder.

"I think I'm going back to bed," he whispered to her. "I'd love to stay, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to stay up too much longer."

"Same," she replied. "I'll join you soon. I think I'm going to talk some more, and then I'll come back to the room and join you. Just make sure to warm the bed up for me."

Spyro smiled, kissed her, and then left the table. As he exited the dining hall, several of the Skylanders watched. "Let me guess," Sunburn said, "he's still tired."

"Yep," Cynder said. "I told him I would join him soon, but not right now. I think I'll stay and talk before going back."

"Sounds good to me," Sonic Boom said. "So, how does it feel to you to be going somewhere that you've never experienced before? I just want to ask you so that I can then compare what I'm feeling right now."

"I have to admit, going somewhere that I don't know, but that my mate knows, is extremely different," Cynder said. "Of course, I did go to Avalar with Spyro for our honeymoon, so there's that. I have some experience as a result of that trip, though it's not quite the same as this, because this trip is one where we actually have something to accomplish. While I definitely do not welcome the idea of taking on a monster and his army, so long as I can help the inhabitants of one Realm escape the possible destruction of all they know and love is something I do welcome. I want to make sure that others don't have to suffer as a result of those who attack them."

"How is it that it took you so little time to come up with an answer like that?" Trigger Happy asked in awe. "I've been wanting to be able to be ready to reply like that for a long time, but I've never been able to. What's your secret when it comes to this? Because honestly, I'm dying to know. Not literally, obviously figuratively."

"I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say," Cynder said. "I guess that I just have a knack for being able to improvise whenever it really counts. It's not easy, though, and there are many times where I have no idea what's going to come out of my mouth, but I usually have the idea that nothing bad will come of it when I finally do speak my mind without thinking." She found all of a sudden that she, too, still felt extremely tired, and she guessed that it was best for her to go ahead and join Spyro. She didn't want to leave any of her friends behind, but not sleeping was probably one of the worst things she could do in a situation like this. "Well, I hate to be that person, but I think I'm going to be turning in. So, I'll see you all later, and hopefully I'll be actually awake when that time comes."

She finally stepped away from the table and made her way out of the dining area, aware of the glares that emanated from the table where those such as Slam Bam, Whirlwind, and Warnado sat. However, she did not care much about what they thought, instead only paying attention to the idea of more sleep with the love of her life and the prospect of saving an entire Realm.

When she reached the room and opened the door, she found Spyro waiting for her in the bed. He smiled as she entered.

"There you are," he said.

"Here I am," she said.

"I was wondering how much longer you would take, but I guess there was no reason for me to worry about such a thing."

"No, there was not."

She crawled into the bed, finding exhaustion was now seeping through all of her limbs. Spyro held her close to him as she slipped under the blankets. A sudden blast of cold air conditioning hit her, and she shivered. It did not help that she had no body temperature, so she became cold very easily, though she had become good at hiding it.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Cynder asked Spyro softly just before she drifted off to sleep.

"Yes," Spyro answered firmly and confidently. "What about you?"

"Yes," she answered.

With that, the two of them held one another close and drifted off to the land of dreams, knowing they would face their challenge when the time came, and when that time finally did come, they would be ready for it.


	8. Sunrise Spring and the Alp

**Hey everyone! I've got some really great news for you: the first chapter of _Skylanders: Pure_ has now been posted! I hope you enjoy the rest of _The Heretic Jewel_ while you read this story! Have a great day, and God bless!**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven:**

 **Sunrise Spring and the Alp**

There was yet another knock at the door. This time, it was Cynder who responded to it, getting out of Spyro's warm embrace and jumping to the floor. She traipsed the door and opened it, finding Cali and Stealth Elf standing there. "Good morning," Cynder said sleepily as she began rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Same to you," Cali said. "I have good news for you: We have finally arrived. There was this…piece of a castle here in Sunrise Spring that acted as a good hangar for the airship. Do you think it'll be problematic to the inhabitants that we've parked here?"

"No," Spyro said as he finally stood on the bed and jumped down. "That was where a balloon was once located. It took me from here to Midday Gardens. At the time, all the Magic left this world because the Sorceress banished the Dragons. After I came and saved them from her, the Magic came back, which meant that she was also stopping it from reentering the world. The Magic contained in the baby Dragons was able to open portals to other worlds. Anyway, it's here that we're going to find Sheila. Let's just hurry, because we don't want to be located."

Sunburn and Sonic Boom soon awoke, as well, and after a few moments, the four of them and Cali were on their way to the front of the airship, where they found many more of the Skylanders waiting on them.

"All right," Spyro said. "Our mission here is to get through Sunrise Spring, and then we're going to the Alp, where we're going to meet up with an old friend of mine, the Kangaroo named Sheila. We don't have much time, I'll admit, because if we stay here for too long, this Shadow Golem will be able to learn easily that we're here. We can't allow that. So, let's get going."

He led the way out of the airship, and he soon found himself in a room with pink tile on the floor and golden walls surrounding them. The top of the room was open, revealing a sky that looked as though it was still in the morning stages. He continued forward, not wanting to waste the time just looking up at that spot, since he would soon be able to see all of it once again.

When he exited the room, he found what he had been looking for: Sunrise Spring was a lush, vast, flat area of soft golden-green grass, tall sheltering trees that seemed as though they were stuck in the stages of autumn, and harbored a crystal-clear pond that fed several streams and small waterfalls that ran down the ledges leading to several different areas. The sun was low in the cerulean-colored sky, but not in the way that it was about to set and allow night to fall. Instead, it would remain that way for the rest of the time that this location was still here, for this Realm was stuck in eternal dawn.

"Wow," Cynder said from beside him. "This is beautiful."

"As are you," Spyro whispered to her. This caused her to smile brightly. The smile was short-lived, however, as a cool wind breezed past them. Spyro draped a wing over her to warm her up, then looked back to the Skylanders and said, "Let's get moving. As I said before, we don't have a lot of time, and the longer we wait, the less likely we'll be able to stop Zelophehad. So, let's get going."

He walked at a fast pace, but he was still slow enough so the others wouldn't be left behind. He looked a little ahead of them, above two of the ledges, and Cynder saw him nod a little. "That's where we're going to find Sheila."

"How did you first meet her?" Sonic Boom asked from behind him.

"When I came here with my friend Hunter, we found her in a cage," Spyro explained. "She had been captured by the creatures known as the Rhynocs, who worked for the Sorceress. There was this greedy bear I met while on my adventure in Avalar named Moneybags, and he had arrived here and was put in charge of keeping an eye on her. Well, I found over four-hundred gems and was able to bribe him with three-hundred of those. He took them, and let her free. Not long after, she kicked him away from us. I just hope I never have to see Moneybags again, because I hate him immensely."

"Don't we all," a voice shouted from up on one of the ledges. Suddenly, a Kangaroo with red hair, blue eyes, and a brown vest covering her chest appeared. She jumped quickly down to them. "Spyro! It's so great to see you! I don't know why it took you so long to finally come back, but now that you're here, I'm so happy!"

"It's great to see you too, Sheila," Spyro said. The two embraced, quickly leaving Cynder without a shield from the cool air. Spyro soon returned to his spot, draping his wing over her again. Spyro saw Sheila look to her. "Oh, and this is Cynder. She's my mate."

"Your mate? My God, you got married? Oh boy, just wait until I tell James about this!" Sheila exclaimed. "He actually wanted to place a bet on when you would finally tie the knot with someone. However, I decided not to, because I felt doing so would rush things, even if you didn't know it. Honestly, I was planning to take a trip into the main part of Skylands, but I never got the chance as a result of the new problems that Sunrise Spring and the other Realms of the Forgotten Worlds have been facing."

"What problems?" Spyro asked.

"Let me tell you once we get to my world," Sheila said. She looked behind Spyro. "So, I assume you're all the Skylanders. Yes, Spyro told me a great deal about you and how he became the leader, but never did he tell me he got married! He mentioned you were his second-in-command and the Captain of the Undead Element, but…well, you get the idea, so I don't think I should have to repeat myself."

"Well, I don't know why he wouldn't say anything about our lifemate ceremony," Cynder said. "After all, it was our most special day." She looked at Spyro curiously. He seemed to just shift away from her slightly.

"Ah, it doesn't matter," Sheila said. "I'm just immensely glad you're here, Spyro, because I need your help."

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked. "The Rhynocs haven't returned, have they?"

"They have, but they don't have a leader, and as a result they have become spread into different factions," Sheila explained. "While they haven't caused as much of a problem as when they were under the control of the Sorceress, they did take the key to the portal that will allow you to travel from here to Midday Gardens."

"Crap," Spyro said. "We need to get there, because we're on a mission, currently."

"Are you planning on going to Charmed Ridge?" Sheila asked.

"Yes," Cynder replied. "How'd you know?"

"Well, before I spoil this for you, I'm guessing you heard about the creature they saw over there?" Sheila said. When Spyro nodded, she continued. "Well, from what we've been told, that was a projection of that creature, not the real thing. But Prince Azrael went down into a cave system to check it out with two of his friends, and…one of those friends of his activated a portal inadvertently when a creature made of stone sliced open his arm and allowed blood to splatter onto the rock. According to the Prince, a Shadow Golem appeared, killed both his friends, and severely wounded Azrael, leaving him for dead."

"Oh my God," Spyro said. "So Zelophehad is free, then. Did Azrael tell how he came to be in that cave in Charmed Ridge?"

"Well, I will let you know that many believe he has gone insane, because he was in a kind of stupor throughout the process of getting the information out of him. Bentley was summoned there so he could understand the severity of the situation, and he said he felt more like an interrogation than a fair talk. So, it also seems that this Shadow Golem has made the rounds if you know his name and are asking how he got to where he is."

"That's because one of our own saw just how evil he could be," Spyro said. "I wish I could explain more, but we're running out of time. We can't allow Zelophehad to know that we're coming, and that's why we have to use the portal in the Alp to get to Midday Gardens. While there'll be no time for Midnight Mountain, it won't be too much of a problem."

"Well, then, we might as well get in there and try to get those keys back," Cynder said. "The longer we stay here, the more likely we are to be discovered. Now, one thing I want to know is, who will watch over the airship while we're setting out?"

"I'll do it," Cali said. "Flynn and I will remain here, while Hugo will go with you. When you get to Charmed Ridge, send us a message, and then we'll try to find a way to get there without revealing who we are or what is about to happen."

Spyro nodded. "Good," he said. Then he turned to Sheila. "Are you fine with all of us coming into your world? I know it might not be something you want to happen, but…"

"Don't worry about it," Sheila said. "If I had really cared, then I would never have helped you against the Sorceress."

With that, she started jumping away from them, leading Spyro and Cynder to follow and guide the rest of the Skylanders towards the portal to the Alp. It took them up a few ledges, finally stopping before a stony rock, in the middle of which was the portal.

"Well, here we are," Sheila announced. "I'll go in first, and then all of you should come in one at a time. Just be careful while here, because you could easily be knocked off a cliff by a moose or one of my Billy Goat brethren."

She jumped in, and Spyro turned to the Skylanders. "I'll go, followed by Cynder, and the Captains of each Element. Then the rest of you start coming in. Once we have all arrived, we'll group together and find those keys."

He quickly jumped in, and he felt a cool, soothing sensation creeping down his neck before washing over the rest of his body. Having done this so many times over the years, both in his adventures here, the Dragon Realms, and Avalar, before finally arriving in Skylands, he was used to it, but it still made him slightly shiver each and every time. The area around him was filled with blue sky and white clouds, but he could see the face of a cliff approaching him, with a piece hollowed out for those who arrived to enter through. There was a patch of green grass there in that small hollow spot.

His feet finally touched the ground, and he hurried from the hollowed part of the cliff into the bright sunlight. Looking around, he found the area still resembled that of Sunrise Spring, but here you could actually see the open sky from top to bottom, and if one went too close to the edge of the Alp, then they could fall off.

Not long after this, he heard the flutter of wings from within the hollow, and he turned around to see that Cynder had finally arrived in the Alp. It was here that he suddenly remembered the Alp was quite cold, and as a result, Cynder began shivering even worse than when they had arrived in Sunrise Spring. He hurried to her and draped his wing over her again. Soon Sonic Boom and Sunburn, followed by Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, Bash, and Stealth Elf appeared.

"So, this is the Alp?" Sonic Boom asked. "I have to admit, this is beautiful. I'd almost love to live here."

"Well, you're always welcome," Sheila said as she bounded over to them. "But for the moment, it's probably better if we get this done. While it is unknown where the Shadow Golem is, he is almost certainly keeping watch over all the Forgotten Realms in the case any who wish to battle him appear. So, let's wait until the others get here, and then we'll get started. What do you say, Spyro?"

"As long as we can take Zelophehad down and stop him from finding the Heretic Jewel, that's what truly matters," he replied.

"The Heretic Jewel?" Sheila said. "Well, I have to admit that I have not heard of the Heretic Jewel ever, so I am sorry for that."

"It's not something many outside of Skylands would know about, so there's no need for you to worry," Stealth Elf said. "Before he sent it away, the King of the Viridian Kingdom kept it locked away. When Zelophehad came for it, he sent it somewhere, and no one knows where exactly, though it seems it is somewhere in the Forgotten Realms, because Zelophehad is here, and the caves in Charmed Ridge featured words in some language that talked about it."

"I see," Sheila said, nodding her head. "Well, I'll tell you what: I'll come and help out if this all comes down to a major battle. I wish I could have helped out a lot more with the Sorceress, so this could be my chance to redeem myself for only being able to help you against that wussy green toad."

Before Spyro could say anything more, more of the Skylanders began appearing, with Slam Bam the first to arrive out of them. Spyro walked to them and confronted him. "What took you all so long?" he asked the blue, four-armed Yeti of the Water Element. "The longer we wait, the more likely Zelophehad is to find out about us coming!"

"Hey, we were just debating who should go first," Slam Bam answered hotly. "I know the time constraints we're under, but when it comes to these things, we don't know who should always be first. You know what I'm saying?"

Spyro shook his head and returned to his spot by Cynder, who was being warmed by Sunburn in his place. He looked to Sheila. "How many keys are there?"

"Four," she replied. "Now, while I said the Rhynocs were the ones who were causing all the trouble, I will admit that it's not just them. Those horrible blue thieves are also here, and they are the ones that took the keys. But there's a large group of Rhynocs who block the way into the small area the thieves have taken as their territory. We're going to have to take the Rhynocs out, and then we can get the keys."

"Okay, so we're going to need four groups of three, just in case," Spyro said. "Cynder and I, as well as Sunburn and Sonic Boom, will be one, while Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy will be the second. Camo, Whirlwind, and Gill Grunt will be the third, and Flashwing, Drobot, and Ignitor will be the last. The rest of you will follow Sheila and help her take out the Rhynocs. We'll figure out where to meet after that, but for the time-being, let's just get this done and make sure we can still take Zelophehad by surprise. Remember, this might seem like a difficult task, but I know we can do it! So, let's go!"

He, Cynder, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom looked to Sheila first, who pointed out where the thieves were to them and the other three groups. Once told, they hurried over to that area.

When they were gone, Sheila looked at those who remained.

"All right, then, follow me," she said to them. "Just remember, though, there are many animals around here who could easily knock you off the mountain, so if that happens…well, we'll get to that later."

She hopped her way to their destination, the remaining Skylanders following her.

While she was extremely happy to help Spyro and the Skylanders, she really wished she understood what was going on.

Spyro and Cynder found themselves in a cave full of crystalline structures that glowed blue, gold, red, and violet. Mirror-like structures also appeared on the walls, likely made of diamond. The crystalline structures gave a natural light, so they didn't have to worry about the darkness.

"This is beautiful," Sonic Boom said behind them.

"That thief has to be around here somewhere," Spyro said.

"Do you always have to ruin the good moments?" Cynder joked. She saw Spyro smile at her, then return to the matter at hand.

"So these thieves," Sunburn said, "how will we know that we've found them, or that we're close?"

Just as he finished his question, a sound reached their ears: "NYAH NYAH NYAH-NAH!"

"That's how," Spyro said. "That annoying sound…it strikes again. But this time, I won't show any of them mercy. They've stolen Dragon Eggs before, and in doing that, they became some of my greatest enemies."

He ran forward, leaving the other three to follow as quick as they could manage. When they finally caught up to him, they found him looking up at a ledge.

Spyro could see the thief they were trying to find on that ledge, and he could see the key in their hand. The thief made that horrible noise once again, and Spyro felt his anger spiking. "We'll have to find a way to take them down without that key being damaged!" he told Cynder, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom. "I'll go first, then one of you will go second, and so on. But we'll have to improvise, because these demons are crafty. Just be ready when the time comes!"

Spyro opened his wings and flew to the thief, who started running as soon as he approached. He ran after them, feeling the cool air along his scales. He found himself in a tunnel, which soon opened to a wide pathway that stretched across a chasm that lay below them. The thief continued to make that horrible noise, the noise that he hated so much.

He got closer to them, and he found he could now flame them. He did so, and the thief's robes caught on fire. The thief screamed in pain, continued running.

 _Something's not right,_ he thought. _This thief is faster and stronger than those I've fought before. If I flamed the others, then they would have grunted and fallen on their back. But this one…something's just not right._

He heard someone's voice through the tunnel they entered, and he realized it was Cynder's voice. "I can hear them c-coming!" she shouted. He realized her teeth were chattering. While it wasn't bad, it was obvious that she was beginning to feel it. He needed to get to her and help her warm up.

When he ran into the entrance of the cave, he found Cynder was ready to take the thief on, and she quickly breathed Electricity at them. The thief was hit, but even though that should have been enough to take the thief down, it did not. Instead, the thief yelped in pain, then growled at them. The thief turned to them as Spyro rejoined his mate and allies. Their eyes turned red all of a sudden, having been a milky white beforehand. Spyro was unsure of what was happening, as he had not seen this ever happen before.

"What the heck is going on right now?" Sunburn asked him.

"No idea," Spyro replied. "These thieves shouldn't be able to wield any power that's greater than that of a Dragon. They were cursed to be unable to wield it."

"What could have happened to allow this thief to become stronger?" Sonic Boom asked.

"It would have had to require dark magic, and even then, it would have to be a kind of dark magic that exceeds Malefor's," Cynder answered. "He tried multiple times to enhance some of his allies and failed almost all the time. These thieves aren't natural, so that's why."

"Now you understand, don't you?" the thief said, their voice distorted and completely unnatural. "There is a darker Magic here than you would have ever believed, and now that I am closer to it, I will use its power to destroy all that you know and love!"

"Is it just me, or does that seem like what every villain we've faced has said?" Sunburn suggested to the others, leading them to laugh. The thief became even more enraged by this.

"Enough!" the thief roared. "Your destruction comes now!"

Eyes having already turned red, the thief slowly became shrouded in a shadowy kind of black smoke, and their size increased by at least three times. By the time it was over, the thief's sounds were like rumbles from an earthquake.

"We'll have to work together to take the creature down," Spyro said. "There's no way we can do this alone, any of us."

"Well, you should know that I'll always be with you," Cynder said. "Until the end of time, until one of us finally dies. I don't think that day will be coming for quite some time, though, and I don't think we'll have to worry about this thief taking us down. They never have had the biggest brains."

Spyro smiled at this.

"I'm with you until the end, as well," Sunburn said. "You're my best friend, and I'll fight by your side until I can no longer. If anyone tries to kill us, I'll ensure they realize just how badly they screwed up."

"And I know just how great of a leader you are," Sonic Boom said finally. "If this fight goes the wrong way, then so be it. I know it won't however, but if it does, then I know we'll fight until the end."

With that, the support causing his faith and confidence to increase, Spyro knew automatically they would win, that there was no way this could go south.

He watched as the much larger, enhanced thief attempted its first attack, which was a stomp upon the floor of the cave that sent a great shockwave rumbling towards him. Spyro had seen this kind of attack before, and he easily jumped above it, opening his wings as he did so. He flew towards the thief and started his attack.

The first attack he dealt to the thief was a torrent of raging flame. This was at least ten times stronger than the quick breath of Fire he'd used to take these thieves down during his adventures in the Dragon and the Forgotten Realms. As a result, the thief began screaming. When he had finished, Spyro jumped back to where he had been.

The thief raised their left hand and blasted some kind of dark energy. Spyro had seen its like before, but only in small glimpses, and even then, it had been much more controlled. The thief started moving that hand to the left, and Spyro had to charge away from it so he would not be hit. He could see that Cynder, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom had moved away from this, as well, though they were all ready to take the thief on when the time finally came. The attack from that side finished, only for it to begin from the other side. Spyro did what he had done before. It was over quicker than the last attack had been.

Turning and facing the thief again, he found they were out of breath. In response to this, Spyro ran forward again and unleashed his torrent of Fire once more. The thief screamed and screamed, but nothing could be done to stop the great pain that seemed to course through their body.

Smoke hung heavy in the cave, and it seemed to have become much warmer, which Spyro found good, as it meant Cynder could now warm up before it came time for her to face the thief. He had been able to make the thief hurt, and that was what mattered. Now all he needed was to find a way to kill them. Once that was done, then there would be no more need to be here.

"You cannot fight me…forever," the enhanced thief said. "I…are almost to the edge of the known power. I will take you down, and when it is all over, all that will remain of your precious Skylands will be ash."

"Interesting theory," Spyro said. "But you forgot one thing."

"And what would that be?"

"You're already dying."

The thief started laughing. "Do you think thief is my only body? I am only here for the moment, just as you are."

Spyro's eyes widened as he realized that he must be speaking to Zelophehad. The Shadow Golem was talking to him through the thief, which he had somehow possessed and enhanced.

"Now you understand, don't you?" Zelophehad asked.

"I do understand," Spyro said. "What I understand is that this is only a momentary battle, and soon we'll be on our way to stop you."

He breathed the torrent again, but then suddenly switched and released his yellow-colored Electricity on the thief, causing them to catch on fire. Spyro knew he had done all he could do, and he jumped away from where he stood, flying to where the others were. He looked to Cynder, who nodded at him, knowing what was about to happen.

She jumped into the battle, knowing Spyro wanted nothing more than for her to be safe. As a result, she would do all that she could. The flames he'd breathed had warmed the cave up, so she was no longer freezing. This gave her more of a chance to do what she needed to do. That key still remained in the grasp of the thief, and if she could somehow get that key, then it would all be over. At least, she hoped.

There was the stomp on the ground that she had seen before, though this time there were three of them. She was able to hover over them, and when the possessed thief stopped, she attacked with her violet Electricity. The thief screamed again. The robes it wore became ripped even more, and the flames it was still covered in starting causing them to burn away.

A ball of dark energy formed in their palm. Cynder looked at it, having seen such kinds of energy during her days when she was corrupted by Malefor. Seeing the energy again made her pause, as she knew just how dangerous they were. If she made a mistake and was hit by it or the blast that would surely come from it, it could possibly be the end of her life.

The orb was thrown, and as she saw it hurtle towards her, Cynder realized that its blast would harm Spyro, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom, as well. This meant she would have to do something so that did not happen. But what could she do? The blast was pure dark energy, which meant things could become catastrophic if she messed up. She sighed, having only come up with one idea.

She looked at the orb of dark energy and blasted it with the one thing that it was made of: Shadow. It hit the orb, and there was great blast of dark energy that filled the cave. She shielded her eyes from the blast with her right wing, only uncovering them when she felt the cold nature of the dark energy fade away. What she was a great big shock to her: the thief had been defeated, the blast having seemingly killed it. Flames of both regular and dark fire had sprouted around the cave, illuminating it.

The thief now lay on its back, not breathing at all. Cynder slowly and cautiously approached it, unsure if it was really dead. "Be careful, Cyn," she heard Spyro say from behind her. She nodded and smiled at how much he cared for her, knowing that he was right. When she reached the thief's body, its hand sprung up.

"You…may have…de-destroyed me," it said, its voice still that of the Shadow Golem. "But it was only this…body that…you…destroyed. I…still live…and…I know you…are coming for me. I…will be…prepared."

With that, the thief's hand fell, and the body turned to ash. The key in their hand glittered in the light of the flames that burned around them. Cynder took it and hurried to Spyro, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom.

"You both did it!" Sunburn said. "I kind of wish Sonic Boom and I could have seen some action, but I'm not surprised the two of you were the ones that took it down."

"I'm not, either," Spyro said. "Because I don't think it was a coincidence. But now's not the time to reflect on this. We need to get to Sheila and the others and make sure that nothing's gone amiss. We also have to make sure the other groups were successful in getting their keys."

"I'm sure they were," Cynder said. "It wouldn't be like them for them to have failed in such a task. But anyway, you're right. Let's get going."

Sunburn followed them as they hurried out of the cave. All four of them took flight, returning to where they had been before. Sheila and those who had followed her were not there now, but not long after they had landed here, Sunburn saw the other groups were approaching them from the areas they'd gone to obtain their keys.

"Well, it seems we didn't fail!" Gill Grunt announced as he approached them. He handed them the key. Stealth Elf and Flashwing handed Spyro the other two. They had finally finished with that part of the mission, which allowed them continue on. As they did so, Sunburn got closer to Sonic Boom.

"So, you'd like to live here?" he asked her.

"Well, I wouldn't mind it," she replied. "But I know that there are some problems with that idea, such as the fact we're both Skylanders. It could definitely be worse, don't get me wrong, but I wish we could live here."

"I get that," he said. "I wish we could, too. But I don't mind where we live, currently. I just can't wait for that special time to finally come along."

"True," she said, smiling. "But we should probably keep that as quiet as possible."

Sunburn nodded. That was when the smell of smoke hit his nostrils. "Um, Spyro?" he asked.

"I know," Spyro said. "Come on! While I'm sure it could easily just be someone's attacks, it could also be something bad. Let's get over there and make sure about it."

They hurried on, and while Spyro ran, Cynder under the wing he had raised up for her so she could be warmed up, he could not help but think, _Please, let Sheila and the other be okay. If something truly horrible were to happen to her or happen to any of the Skylanders, I don't think I could ever forgive myself._

While they had taken on the thief, and the other groups the three other thieves around them, Sheila and the Skylanders who accompanied her had taken on the Rhynocs who'd returned to wreak havoc here in the Alp.

"All right, here's the idea: these Rhynocs can be tricky, and there's a real interesting assortment of them," she announced as they approached. "Don't get me wrong, I know the Skylanders are extremely capable, so I don't expect anything bad to happen to any of you. I just want all of you to be as careful as possible. I've fought these things before, and they used to give me so much trouble."

"They won't give us any trouble whatsoever, so there's no need for you warn us or whatever," Slam Bam said. "I know everything there is to know about fighting creatures like these."

Sheila looked at him as she hopped forward, then found the Rhynocs had started coming even closer. This meant was nowhere near an issue, as she had dealt with it before, and the Skylanders likely had, as well, but at the same time she was not sure if these Rhynocs would be the horrible pains they had been in areas such as the Desert Ruins.

She kicked one of them in the chest as hard as she possibly could, the Rhynoc being sent flying across the area into a rocky wall. She could now see from her peripheral the remaining Skylanders that had accompanied her were now in the forefront of the battle, with the blue Yeti whose attitude she was not a fan of hitting them with all four of his arms, which sent them flying just as Sheila's kick had. The rock-like Dragon was rolling across the ground, and those that fell into his path were easily flattened like they were made of nothing more than paper. He then jumped up and swung his clubbed tail at them, taking out a circle of them.

Looking over the Rhynocs that were attempting to attack them, Sheila now found they had come from several different Realms in the Forgotten Realms, including Seashell Shore, Spooky Swamp, and even the Enchanted Towers.

The ones from Seashell Shore wielded shovels, though those had no affect on any of the Skylanders whom they attacked, nor did they have any affect on Sheila. This was mostly because none of them could get anywhere near them to hit them like that, instead being hit, or kicked, or shot away by those assembled.

It did not take very long for them to be finished, much to Sheila's surprise and extreme happiness. She kind of wished the fight had lasted longer, or that the Rhynocs had provided more of a challenge. But then, she guessed she just couldn't expect from those that had fallen to a Kangaroo, Penguin, and Monkey. However, Dragons and Yetis were far more challenging for anyone to battle, so she was not shocked there.

"Not bad," Sheila commended them. "Of course, I do wish that could have gone even longer, because I really enjoy a long, drawn-out fight, but I know you're the Skylanders, so I shouldn't have expected that kind of stuff."

"Well, especially when you have someone like me by your side," Slam Bam said, flexing his muscles in a jock-kind of way. Sheila nearly sighed, but she did not want to show how much she displeased being anywhere near him. She guessed the best thing for her to do was to talk to Spyro about his behavior, or even just ask him why he was such a large pain in the butt.

"I can see you were busy," Spyro said a few minutes later as he and the groups who had gone after the keys arrived. "Was there any major trouble?"

"Well, there were some inflated egos among them," Sheila said, her eyes momentarily flicking over to Slam Bam, which she saw Spyro, as well as Cynder, fully understood.

"Well, what do you expect? They're always like that," Spyro said, making it seem as though he was speaking of the Rhynocs and not of the blue, four-armed Yeti of the Water Element who had ridiculed his mate far too many times.

"I can take you over to the portal that'll take you to Midday Gardens and the Enchanted Towers, if you want," Sheila then said after a few moments of silence. "So, come on, because as you said, we cannot tarry. Maybe those weren't your exact words, but you get the idea."

She hopped her way over to where they needed to go, Spyro motioning for the Skylanders to follow him. As they hurried over, Cynder looked to Spyro. "You know whom she was talking about, don't you?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. "But let's not remain on that subject. There's still a lot that we need to get done, and if go ahead and act like that, none of this will be easy. We have to stay several steps ahead of Zelophehad, because if we don't, then things will go in the exact opposite direction."

He saw her nod. They continued until they reached a large face of rock, where they found what seemed to be a large cleft running down the middle of it. There were five indentations similar to the shape the keys they had taken were.

"Well, here we are," Sheila said as she reached the right spot. "Now, let's see…" She held her hand out for the keys. After she had them, she placed all five in those indentations, then tapped her hand several times on the surface. Spyro counted a total of thirteen times that she tapped the surface.

The cleft began to open up, and Spyro saw a portal appear, black with blue lines and white stars swirling within it.

"Here you go," Sheila said. "You're going straight to Midday Gardens, and from there you will find the portal to Enchanted Towers. Just make sure to stay away from that annoying skateboard park. Hunter kept trying to make me go back, and it just became so annoying after a while. I could never beat the high-score, though he seemed to really want me to."

"Well, I was the one who beat the record," Spyro said. "So, there's that, you know? He was probably just wanting to see if there was someone other than me who could do well there. He probably couldn't do it himself."

Sheila laughed. "Well, anyway, I'll keep an eye—or ear, rather—for a fight there at Charmed Ridge soon," she said. "I'll make sure I'm there if there is one, and I'll try to bring anyone else that I can with me. Too bad those Mountain Goats are vacationing at Seashell Shore."

Spyro smiled at her. "Thank you for helping us, Sheila," he said. "I'll make sure to call you whenever we need you."

With that, he turned to the Skylanders and announced, "We're going through the portal! Let's go!"

He started it off, and Cynder soon followed. As she entered the portal, she took one last look at Sheila and smiled. Then she leapt in, hoping they were able to get to Midday Gardens just in the nick of time.

* * *

Back in Sunrise Spring, Cali, Hugo, and Flynn sat around a campfire, hoping the Skylanders were able to accomplish their mission. Cali knew it probably would be tight when it came to time, but she believed they could do it.

"So, you want to see my gun collection?" Flynn asked her.

Cali sighed. This had to be the third time he had asked her that in the last three hours since the Skylanders had left the first Homeworld of the Forgotten Realms. "No," she snapped. "We need to be ready for when the Skylanders contact us. These things aren't going to be easy whatsoever, because we're up against an enemy we've never had to deal with before."

A loud, cracking noise appeared in the air around them. Cali and Hugo had jumped, while Flynn seemed to be so involved with his "gun show" that he had not even noticed it. Cali looked to Hugo and commanded, "Douse the fire."

He did as she asked, and she hurried around the corner to see what or who had caused the sound.

What she found frightened her immensely:

Kaos was walking around Sunrise Spring, near where the portal to the Realm known as Sunny Villa stood. Along with him was the Goblin known as Glumshanks.

"What in the name of God is he doing here?" Cali hissed to Hugo, who had now joined her. She saw the mole-like Mabu was beginning to tremble with fear.

"No idea," Hugo replied, fear present in his voice. It did not tremble, as she would have expected it to, but it still was filled with fear, and she could also hear that it was high-pitched. There was the possibility that high pitch could be heard by Kaos, which would make things even worse than they already were.

"Hugo," she hissed, "don't say anything more! Your voice is becoming high-pitched, and if you talk anymore, then Kaos might find us! So, shut your mouth!"

He nodded, and they continued watching Kaos, who was still by the portal that led to Sunny Villa. "I do wish we could have found an easier way to travel," he was saying to the Goblin. "Glumshanks, tell our master that we need a new way to travel when we finally return! Okay?"

"Yes, master," Glumshanks said, though he did not seem very happy about saying anything like that. "I do want to know, though, now that we're here, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to have to find a way to get to wherever that Shadow Golem is!" Kaos answered. "But I am not sure how we can do that. I mean, I know the master explained some of that to us, but I am still confused on the subject somewhat. What do you think, Glummy?"

"All I think is that we should find the place that's called 'the Alp' and use that to get to wherever it is we need to go," Glumshanks explained.

"Quiet, I'm thinking!" Kaos snapped, clicking his fingers. Then he pointed his right index finger into the air. "I've got it! We should go to the Alp to get wherever it is we need to go to find this Shadow Golem! I'm a genius, aren't I?"

"Rightfully so, master," Glumshanks said in a deadpan-sort of way, showing his displeasure in having his idea stolen from him. Then the two of the walked away from the portal to Sunny Villa, obviously now in search of the portal to the Alp.

"This isn't good," Cali said. "We need to alert the Skylanders about this, and we need to do it soon!"

"But how?" Hugo demanded. "I just don't think it's possible for us to do it!"

"There is if we hurry to Midday Gardens," Cali said. "But then again, that Shadow Golem will probably be watching for us to make that kind of a move. All right, I'm guessing that's not the best idea. But I have a better one: We need to follow Kaos and Glumshanks so that we can surprise them before they get to the Skylanders."

Though Hugo was afraid, it seemed that Flynn was ready. "You know what?" he said. "Let's go! I've always waited to face a greater challenge than ever before! Now we can down this shadowy person and help the Skylanders stop Kaos. Oh yeah, I'm good. BOOM!"

Cali shook her head, which she then placed into her palm, and said, "God help us."


	9. Midday Gardens and the Enchanted Towers

**Chapter Eight:**

 **Midday Gardens and the Enchanted Towers**

When he arrived in Midday Gardens, Spyro could not help but remember his first meeting with one of the inhabitants of that world. Sgt. Byrd was a Penguin who had been raised by Hummingbirds, and as a result, he was able to fly. It was strange to see something like that, but at the same time, the Penguin had proven himself to Spyro, and before defeating the Sorceress and returning to the Dragon Realms, they'd become good friends. And now that he had finally returned to this world, he couldn't wait to be able to meet him again.

Cynder came up next to him, having arrived during the time he had been thinking about his past experiences. She looked over the Realm, noticing how the grass was green as it had been in Sunrise Spring, though the air around them was very warm, so Spyro did not have to help her warm up as he had before. He followed her line of sight to see what she was looking at:

He saw the brown mountains that rose far above the Midday Gardens on one side, while a dense, lush, green forest could be found on the other side. There were stone walls pinkish in color that surrounded them, as well. In front of them—and as he looked around, Spyro noticed the rest of the Skylanders had arrived—was a cobblestone pathway, which led to a group of marble steps that led into another area of the Gardens. The azure sky above them was almost cloudless, though a few purple-colored clouds could be seen over the mountains and the forest.

"Well," Spyro said, "we've arrived. Let's get moving, because there might not be much time."

He walked forward, Cynder still beside him. Sunburn came over on his other side, with Sonic Boom on Cynder's other side, and together they followed the cobblestone path and went up the steps. They reached the other area, allowing Cynder to see a stone-built structure with an open dome at the very top, supported by five pillars. Looking to her right, she found a great pond full of clear water. She could see a stone bottom.

"I'll admit," Spyro said, "this isn't my favorite of the Homeworlds. But I like it nonetheless. Now, I do want to see if I can find another old friend of mine. He'd be right around there—" He pointed at the stone structure "—while the location we need to go to is just a bit that way." He pointed to his right.

"Tell me, is this place supposed to be so warm?" Slam Bam asked him.

"Well, it's not supposed to be cold," Spyro explained. "Like the Summer Forest from Avalar or the Artisans and Peace Keepers Homeworlds from the Dragon Realms, this place is supposed to be warm all the time. It's also called 'Midday Gardens' for a reason. Sorry if you're disappointed."

They continued walking around, looking for the ally of Spyro's that was supposed to be around. "Are you sure he's here?" Cynder asked.

"Well, honestly, he could be back in his own world, which is his base," Spyro admitted. "But there is the possibility that he could be in another one of the Realms. With what Sheila told me about how Prince Azrael isn't in the best shape, he could have gone to Evening Lake and met up with Bentley to go to Charmed Ridge. If that's the case, then that could be a good thing, though it may not be the best idea, either. We need him to help us find the portal in Enchanted Towers. It could be anywhere there."

"I would've thought that you would know where it was!" Slam Bam suddenly exclaimed. "Come on, you should know this kind of crap perfectly well, seeing as you have been to this place before!"

"Back when I was here, I never had to deal with these portals!" Spyro snapped back. "I could just go through end-portals and find myself back here in the Homeworld! We're only doing this so that we aren't suspected by Zelophehad! If you don't like it, then you can go ahead and leave! Betray us, if you want! But we're still going to be doing this until the time comes for us to confront the Shadow Golem in Charmed Ridge, so, if you're going to stay, then deal with it!"

When Spyro finished, he could not help but sigh. That had taken a bit out of him, and he wished he had not blown up as he had, but at the same time he felt Slam Bam had deserved it.

"Just calm down," Cynder said. "Trust me, you said the right thing."

Spyro smiled and nodded. He was about to say something more when a voice interrupted both his words and his thoughts:

"Finally! I was hoping you'd return!"

Spyro whirled around to find Sgt. James Byrd flying towards him, flapping his wings as he did so. When he had finally reached them, he dropped down.

"Spyro, old chap!" he said. "How grand to see you again!"

Cynder looked the Penguin over, seeing his blue-black feathers with chest feathers the color of creamy vanilla. He had yellow flippers and a yellow beak. His eyes were large and wide, and his pupils were the color of the grass around them. There was a green Army helmet on his head and rocket launchers attached by straps on his shoulders.

"It's great to see you again!" Spyro said. He held out his front right paw, which Byrd shook with his left wing. As he did so, he looked to Cynder and was shocked by her appearance.

"Well, Spyro, who is this beautiful Dragoness you have brought with you? And who are the plethora of allies you've brought along with her?" Byrd asked.

"This is Cynder," Spyro said. "She's the love of my life…and my mate."

"Mate?!" Byrd exclaimed, whatever composure he still had disappearing from his face. "Well, by Jove! I never would have believed you'd marry! I wish I could have been there! You probably would have invited me, but I'm guessing you decided it was best to invite only those who were nearest to you?"

"Actually, it was a private ceremony," Cynder said. "So, only a few of our friends were able to come, including Sonic Boom and Sunburn here." She motioned to the Griffiness and the Phoenix-Dragon Hybrid on her right and on Spyro's left, respectively.

"Ah, I see," Byrd said. "Well, it is great to see you here, Cynder. And what about the rest of you?"

"These, along with Cynder and I, are the Skylanders," Spyro explained. "We've come here to stop the Shadow Golem known as Zelophehad. Have you heard anything about him?"

"He's the one who injured Prince Azrael, right?" Byrd asked. "Because, if yes, then most of the inhabitants of the Forgotten Realms have heard of him, and we hate him."

Spyro nodded. "Understandable," he said. "Well, we need to get to the portals located in some of the Realms throughout the Homeworlds. We found the one we came through in the Alp, thanks to Sheila."

"Ah, I see. Well, then, you'll probably find the next one in the Enchanted Towers," Byrd said. "You may not be a major fan of that area, but I think it could also be far worse. Maybe it's because I could actually fly at the time."

"Well, luckily, I have learned to fly without help," Spyro told him. "But anyway, we need to hurry, James. If we don't, then we might have to deal with our location being revealed to the Shadow Golem. I don't want that to happen."

"Understood. Then follow me, and we'll be going through the portal to the Enchanted Towers." He raised his wings again and started flapping them, allowing him to rise off the ground and make his way to the portal they needed to go through.

"How—?" Sunburn started saying, but Sonic Boom stopped him.

"Who knows?" she said. "Let's just move on and follow him."

They hurried over to a pedestal where, at the top, he was hovering and waiting for them.

When they arrived, he smiled at them. "Well," he said, pointing at the teal-colored portal, "here we are. I hope everything goes well in there. Just go in, and I will be right behind you."

"Just wondering, has anything strange been happening in there?" Spyro asked.

"Well, not too weird, but I think things could be going better in all these Realms," Byrd replied. "There's been a bit of unrest among the inhabitants ever since Zelophehad entered through that strange portal in Charmed Ridge. There are many who do not want to go out anymore to our Gatherings because they are extremely tired. It's not known why they are acting like this, because I think they're overreacting a bit, but oh well. I guess it's time we go in, though. We don't want to have to get into a battle over it all, but with the ways things have gone, I'm just not sure."

"Understandable," Cynder said.

"We don't want there to be any fighting, either," Spyro said. "But at the same time, we know it's possible it'll have to happen. I wish none of this had come to the Forgotten Realms. You all suffered so much when the Sorceress was around, and even though she's gone, the rest of the problems in the universe have come to make things more difficult."

"Well, we've gone through one major problem before, so I believe we can do it again. There's no need for you to worry in such a way," Byrd explained to Spyro. "Trust me, I know how you are. We've known each other long enough that we understand how each of us takes this kind of stuff. Anyway, off to our main mission!"

He turned to the portal and flew into it. Spyro looked to Cynder and smiled at her. She returned the smile.

"I guess it's time," he said.

"Spyro," Stealth Elf said, holding a communicator in her left hand. "I just received a message from Cali. I think I should take this."

"Okay," Spyro said, looking back at her. "Just meet up with us." He looked around the other Skylanders. "Camo, would you mind staying with her?"

"No," the Plant-Dragon Hybrid said with a nod and a smile.

With that, Spyro and Cynder flew through the portal, followed by the rest of the Skylanders, leaving Stealth Elf alone with Camo. Camo looked to Stealth Elf. "What does the message say?" he asked.

"Hold on," she said. "It's not a written one, but instead a recording. I don't think it could be anything bad if it's a recording, but at the same time you can't be too sure."

She activated the message through the communicator and waited for it to activate. When it did, she and Camo listened to it in stunned silence:

"Stealth Elf," Cali's voice said, "we have news that could potentially complicate everything. In fact, it likely will complicate everything: Kaos has arrived here in Sunrise Spring, and I'm sure he's on your trail already. I know you're ahead of him, but we've learned in the past that we shouldn't doubt this little tyrant. If you encounter him at all, then it's probably better if you don't fight him. We have no idea what he might be capable of since the last time we fought him. My guess is that he now knows of Zelophehad and of the Heretic Jewel. If he or the Shadow Golem get their hands on it, then bad things will happen, which I know you have already experienced. I don't want you to have to experience that again, however, and that is why I am telling you this right here and right now. This doesn't necessarily mean there is any room for alarm, but at the same time, be ready."

The transmission ended, and Stealth Elf could only continue to look down at the communicator. Part of her could not believe what she had just heard. There was even a part of her that wanted to smash the communicator because of how much she prayed that Cali was lying. Yet, at the same time, she knew Cali was not lying, that Kaos really had somehow been able to follow them, and that they were now in even greater danger than before.

"What are we going to do?" Camo asked her in an extremely worried tone. "If Kaos has come around, then that means we'll have to fight him again! Look, there is a part of me that wants to get revenge on him for what he did back at that castle with the Dark Elf, but at the same time, I was praying we wouldn't have to deal with him ever again."

"I know," Stealth Elf said. She released a deep sigh.

"Then what can we do?"

"There's two main options that we can either look at or take, and while not all of them admittedly sound the best, I think we'll have to deal with them. One of the possibilities is for us to keep moving, catch up with Spyro, Cynder, Sgt. Byrd, and the others, and tell them what's happening. We can do that, or we can go ahead and find wherever in the name of God Kaos is and fight him ourselves. So, what do you think?"

"I honestly prefer the first one," Camo said. "I don't mean to sound like a coward, but I think facing him on our own might be a really stupid idea."

"Well, you're not alone," Stealth Elf said. "Because I think that option was stupid, as well. The truth is, going to face this Shadow Golem makes everything so much harder. I'm going to have to face the monster that killed my father, and I'm really not sure if I'm ready for that. Have you ever been in that kind of a situation before? I'm sure you haven't, and it's just so stressful!"

"Well, Spyro once told me that it's best for us to keep our faith in front of us," Camo said to her in an assuring tone. "I will admit that I don't listen to Spyro as much as I should. I'm not sure why, but I think it might have to do with the fact he decided to marry Cynder. After what happened over in the Mistlands, I'm just not sure that I can continue to trust her. Yes, I know that she didn't mean it, and I know that I'm probably sounding like one big jerk, but I'm not sure what I can do about these feelings. Has there ever been a time where you have been in a situation like this? I never have, and that is what makes all of this so much harder for me. I can't stand it."

"I still trust her because I know she never meant for that to happen," Stealth Elf said. "At the time, none of us were experienced, least of all her. She had a good idea about how to do some things, but she had problems understanding a great deal of it, too, and that was the only problem she faced when it came to Kaos and Deathmatch. But in the end, we can say she did an amazing job when it came to taking them both down. I just hope we don't have to go through a situation like that during this mission."

"Agreed."

They looked over at the main portal to Enchanted Towers. As she stared at it, Stealth Elf could not help but feel some apprehension. After getting everything out of her system and letting Camo know exactly how she felt, some of that apprehension had disappeared, but a great deal of it still remained.

"Are you sure you want to go in there?" Camo asked. "You don't have to. I can let you stay here and go tell Spyro of your decision."

"I'm not going to stay here," Stealth Elf retorted. "I may have this apprehension, but that doesn't mean I'll let it impede my progress any longer. What matters here is that we go ahead and stop this threat before anymore lives can be lost. I may have failed to save my father, but I can still go ahead and save the inhabitants of Charmed Ridge from Zelophehad."

And with that, she ran forward. All the fear and apprehension that had, at one time, been within her, was not gone. She was not going to let it hold her back. She ran through the portal, leaving Camo to watch.

He sighed when he realized there was no going back. And so, he made his way to the portal. "Here we go," he said. There was some apprehension in him, but like Stealth Elf, he decided he would not allow that to hold him back.

As soon as the two of them arrived, they took in the sights of Enchanted Towers. The bright sky was the same teal-blue color as that of the portal they had come through, while the ground they stood on, as well as that which surrounded them, was covered in green grass, with the only areas where green grass could not be found being where the foundations of large, white marble towers with small bridges crossing between them, purple crystals jutting out of the marble, as well as embedded within it, and a little farther away there were several small castles.

However, there was no sign of Spyro, Cynder, or Sgt. Byrd. Looking to the ground, Stealth Elf saw tracks in the grass, and seeing as how they resembled the same kinds of footprints as those she had seen of most Dragons, she guessed they belonged to Spyro and Cynder and the others. She could see other tracks that did not belong to Dragons or any of the Dragon-like Skylanders, including one she guessed belonged to Slam Bam.

"Where are they?" Camo inquired. "I thought they would be waiting on us."

"My guess is that they couldn't," Stealth Elf said. "They probably wanted to, but you know how these things can go. There's probably a problem similar to that of the Thieves back in the Alp."

"I hope we don't have to deal with those creatures ever again," Camo said. "They honestly give me the creeps."

"Well, you'll have to deal with that for now," Stealth Elf. "As a Skylander, you'll have to deal with that quite a bit. Now, come on. We don't have anymore time to waste! Once we find them, then we can help them with whatever is happening and then take down Zelophehad even quicker."

And with that, the two of them continued running.

What they did not know was that the Skylanders and Sgt. Byrd, after arriving, had been contacted by another old friend of Spyro's, a caveman named Ooga of the species Bonebuilder from the Avalar Realm known as Skelos Badlands, found in the Homeworld called Autumn Plains, where Spyro and Cynder had also spent their honeymoon. When he found them, he told them of how Lava Lizards had been able to steal the bones of his friend.

Now they were split into groups, with Spyro and Sunburn together with Ooga and Sgt. Byrd, while Cynder and Sonic Boom, Whirlwind and Slam Bam, and Flashwing and Bash had joined together, as well.

Spyro was now extremely exasperated, as this mission was something he had already done for the Bonebuilder back in both Skelos Badlands when taking down Ripto and even once before here in the Enchanted Towers.

"How the heck did this even happen again?" he asked Ooga, a slight growl creeping into his voice. He had not meant for this to happen, but since he was truly under stress, he was not surprised whatsoever.

"Well, we were on our way to the Base where Sgt. Byrd lives," Ooga said in his raspy voice. "We heard of the problems happening over in Charmed Ridge, and we didn't want to be caught in the middle of it all."

"How did you end up here, though, when you live in the Skelos Badlands, as Spyro said?" Sunburn asked.

He could see the stress his best friend was under, and he was willing to alleviate it as much as he possibly could, even if it meant taking the brunt of the stress himself. He would happily do the same for Sonic Boom and Cynder and everyone else that he considered a good friend of his. Sonic Boom most of all, but the others definitely were not far behind when considering that.

"Ever since Ripto tried to take over, I decided I did not want to stay there, and while I tried to figure out how everything would go, and where I would live, my bone friend and I decided to take a vacation here to the Enchanted Towers, which we came to thanks to the Professor and one of his inventions," Ooga explained. "So my friend and I remained here after the Sorceress was defeated. Unfortunately, this Realm contains Lava Toads, as well, just as Skelos Badlands do. It's unfortunate, but I still love this place more than I ever loved the Badlands."

Sunburn nodded, then looked over to Spyro, who looked at him with an exasperated expression.

"Trust me, I can say this is annoying, as well," Byrd said. "I was one of those who had to help find the bones. Actually, Spyro and I were the only two who were able to, but since Spyro couldn't fly on his own without some kind of power-up, I had to take over and patrol the skies."

"Interesting," Sunburn said. "Hey, what's that?"

He pointed towards a shadow upon a wall of one of the towers. There was the shadow of a creature that resembled a toad, and it was tossing into the air…

…a bone!

"That's one of them," Spyro said. "Let's go and get it. Then we can get the heck out of here."

He opened his wings and flew towards the Lava Toad. He did not want to have to deal with the creature any longer. While he did not mind helping others, this was a situation he did not feel like they should be involved in.

By this point, he could hear the flapping of wings, and he guessed Sunburn and Byrd had followed him. He finally alighted upon the tile floor of the room within the tower, and then looked over to where the Lava Toad sat. Its eyes widened as it beheld him.

"So, you're going to kill it?" Sunburn asked.

"Yes," Spyro replied. "There's no other choice."

"True," Byrd agreed.

With that, Spyro ran forward and released Fire upon the Lava Toad. The creature died quickly, turned to ash by the heat of the flames. When it was done, Spyro looked down at the bone…and found something else:

It was a key.

"Holy crap," he said, picking up the key. "This is a key that unlocks the portal to the next world. So, that means there are some around here."

"Yes," Byrd said. "But it seems as though these Lava Toads have begun eating them. Had I known of that, I would have warned you about it. I'm sorry you didn't know ahead of time, old chap."

"No, that's fine," Spyro said. "I'm just glad we were able to succeed in this."

He held onto the key while Sunburn took the bone and flew outside. Spyro and Byrd followed. When they saw Sunburn giving Ooga the bone, they saw great happiness upon the Bonebuilder's face.

"Thank you, Spyro," Ooga said. "And you, weird Dragon-thing. I am very grateful. Now I just hope the others could hurry up and bring the bones to me."

When he had finished speaking, Spyro looked to Sunburn again, and even without the Purple Dragon saying anything, Sunburn understood exactly what it was that he wanted to say:

"I hate this part of the mission."

Sunburn couldn't help but agree.

As this was happening, Cynder and Sonic Boom were helping one another out with finding the bones that the Lava Toads had been able to steal.

While neither really wanted to be doing this, as they both wanted to continue forward and end the threat of the Shadow Golem, they also knew there were other things that had to be attended to first.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there are keys we need to find, as well," Cynder said. "After all, the Thieves back in the Alp had them, so I wonder—if there are any—where the keys are."

"Maybe with the Lava Toads?" Sonic Boom suggested.

"Maybe," Cynder said. "It's not that I don't believe you there, it's just that it kind of seems too good to be true at the same time."

"Understandable," Sonic Boom said. A thought crossed her mind. "I just want to know, have you ever had to deal with the idea of giving into the Darkness that's within you as a result of your corruption? Please forgive me if that's not something you want to talk about. Trust me, I understand how there are many subjects that no one wants to speak of, I was just wondering."

"Well, I'm not sure exactly how to answer that question," Cynder admitted. "I've never actually been asked something like that before, so if I were to answer it, I'm not sure if my answer would actually be as satisfactory as you might want it." She saw Sonic Boom nod. "There have been times where the Darkness within me has threatened to take control of me, and I'm not always sure what I should do when that time comes. I want to resist it, to make sure that it can never take me over at all. With Spyro, that all becomes so much easier, but when he isn't around, then I'm not sure what I'll be able to do. Of course, I have you, so I at least have someone that would be willing to help me."

"Of course," Sonic Boom said. "Okay, I have another question, and fortunately it is not one about…all that you went through. Just remind me: Where are Hex and the others?"

"Spyro had her and the other Skylanders go and wait over at the area where a statue of the Sorceress was once built, before Spyro helped to destroy it," Cynder said. "He told me that he believes the portal to Evening Lake will be found over there. No one else heard that, of course, but that's only because he doesn't want to be ridiculed by anyone if he turns out to be wrong."

"It's good that the two of you have that kind of a dynamic," Sonic Boom said. "I think Sunburn and I have that kind of a dynamic, but there have been times where I'm not completely sure, is all. He and I love each other, and the two of us really want to have a lifemate ceremony. But that won't be an easy thing to do, especially now that we're here."

"You're really considering a lifemate ceremony?"

"Yes, and if it goes through, then I would like for you to be my maid of honor."

"With Spyro as Sunburn's best man, just as you were my maid of honor and Sunburn was Spyro's?"

"Yes, exactly. I know it might seem a bit too early to talk about this, especially with all we've gone through so far, and all that's left to happen, but I just wanted to let you know so that we at least have some kind of an idea of what to do when it's over. "

"Then I'll do it," Cynder said. " I would be honored to do it. You were there for me when I needed you to be my maid of honor, as well as when I was going through all the problems left over from my last fight with Malefor. Because you were there for me, I will be there for you. Don't worry."

Giving her best friend a smile, they were about to hug one another until a sound reached their ears. They looked around, but they could not find where the sound was coming from.

"Stay behind me," Cynder told Sonic Boom. The Griffiness stayed by her side, however.

They continued forward until they realized the sound was coming from just behind a tower. The two of them rounded it and found just what they had been looking for: the Lava Toad. Its slimy blue skin repulsed Cynder greatly.

And in its mouth was the bone they had been hoping to find. It looked over to them with wide, yellow eyes.

"End of the line," Cynder said, and electrocuted the Lava Toad. There was a screech from the creature, but soon it was gone, and the bone was all that was left in its place. At least, that was what Cynder at first believed.

Then she looked closer and found there was a golden key lying next to the bone.

"What the heck?" she said.

"Why is there a key?" Sonic Boom asked.

"No idea, but…" Her voice trailed off as she pondered the key's existence. An idea popped into her mind, and she turned to look at Sonic Boom. "It's in the same shape as the keys from the Alp! This must be a key to the portal we can use to get out of here!"

Sonic Boom became far happier as a result of this revelation. While she took the bone, Cynder took the key, and now that their part of the mission was done, the two of them opened their wings and took flight, hoping to find Spyro and the others and show them what it was that they had been able to find.

Though the two of them had been able to find and take down the Lava Toad without much trouble, it was not very easy for Flashwing and Bash. The reason for this was because of Bash's large and very-much-known crush on Flashwing. The truth was, Bash was responsible for Flashwing being a Skylander, and while the story was very strange and still shrouded in mystery, Bash still kept his affections for her.

One night, while wishing for a mate on a shooting star, the same star he had been wishing upon crashed into the ground. It opened up and revealed Flashwing. The Gem Dragoness looked right at Bash and hit him right off the cliff. Despite this, the two of them returned to the Ruins, where Flashwing became a Skylander alongside Bash.

Now, though, Flashwing was not sure that she wanted to be anywhere near the Rock Dragon. His attempts to make her fall in love with him were becoming extremely annoying, and she did not want to deal with it any longer. Not only that, but she felt she should be the Captain of the Earth Element, as Bash was not very smart whatsoever.

She wanted to continue thinking this through, but she was forced to stop when she realized Bash was staring directly at her.

"What?" she asked in a tone that showed her irritation with him, though he did not seem to understand this.

"I just wanted to know how you're doing," he said.

"I'm doing good for the moment, thank you," she replied. "But for the moment, I just want to find this Lava Toad, retrieve the bone, and get back to wherever it is Spyro and the others are."

"Hey, just tell me, what do you think of his second-in-command, Cynder?" Bash asked.

"Cynder?" Flashwing said. This caused her to stop and think. She actually was unsure of what she thought of the Black Dragoness. "You know, I'm not sure. I don't know her too well, but I feel like she's a bit too mysterious. In fact, I think there's too much that we don't know about her, such as how she came to be and why Eon decided to make her the second-in-command of the Skylanders. It's unbelievable."

Just then, there was a noise that reached her ears. She saw it was coming from one of the rooms within one of the towers. She pointed this out to Bash. "Let's go," she said, "but quietly."

They walked forward until they had reached the entrance to the tower's room. Peering within, Flashwing found one of the Lava Toads. She saw the bone dangling from its mouth. She was going to make sure she could steal the bone from it.

"NOW!" she yelled out, and Bash followed her lead as she charged in. The Lava Toad's eyes widened. As soon as Bash had reached it, the Lava Toad had jumped out of the way, and the Rock Dragon went skidding across the floor, his target no longer where he had expected it to be, and fell into a hole.

Flashwing saw this and felt anger at the Lava Toad. Almost instinctively, she sent crystals as the Lava Toad. The creature was impaled, and when it was done, the bone lay on the ground. However, there was something near it: a key!

Quickly retrieving both the bone and the key, she hurried over to where Bash had fallen. She looked into the hole and found him down there, looking back up at her with an embarrassed expression.

"You okay, Bash?" she asked her Element Captain.

"FINLAND!" he yelled back.

Having no idea what that meant, she sighed and looked back at the key. She couldn't wait to see the look on Spyro's face when it turned out she had been able to get this for him. Maybe he would go ahead and promote her.

Not far off from where she was, Stealth Elf and Camo were making their way around the Enchanted Towers, taking in all the sights.

"You see anything that might help us find them?" Camo asked his Element Captain.

"Right now, I'm having some trouble," she answered. "But I have a feeling we're close."

Then a voice appeared, one that they knew well.

"Stealth Elf? Camo?" Flashwing ran out of the tower just ahead of them. "Hallelujah! I need your help. Believe it or not, Bash got tricked by a Lava Toad, and now he's stuck in a hole in the ground. I'm not sure what to do with him. I mean, I could have tried to pull him out, but I don't think I would be strong enough to do that."

"Understandable," Stealth Elf said. "Just take me to him, and I'll see what I can do." The Gem Dragoness led Stealth Elf and Camo into the tower, where they saw a bone and a key close to the hole. Flashwing paid them no mind for that moment, and so Stealth Elf didn't, either. She looked at where Flashwing had stopped, and then looked down into the hole where Bash was. She saw the Rock Dragon looking back up at her. "Why the heck were you chasing Lava Lizards?" she asked Flashwing.

"It's a long story, and I'll make sure to explain it all to you a little later," Flashwing explained. "But are you going to be able to get him out of there? I know you can teleport, but are you able to do it with someone his size?"

"If I had to, I could probably teleport with all the Skylanders at once," Stealth Elf said. "Of course, that does not mean I want to do that, as it would take a great deal of energy out of me. We need to handle this with great care. There's no reason to be afraid, though, because all of this is about to be easily resolved. When I'm done, though I'll be wanting your explanation for how this all happened to begin with."

She saw Flashwing nod. Then Stealth Elf teleported into the hole. Walking over to Bash, she quickly examined him to make sure that he had not been injured by the fall. However, knowing the backstory of how Flashwing had come to be, she did not think he would have been hurt at all, nor was she able to see any examples of injury upon his body.

"Okay, Bash," she said, grabbing hold of his neck, "on the count of three, we're going to teleport out of here. You might feel sick to your stomach when this happens, so I'm just warning you. Anyway, let's get this done with." She saw him nod. "Okay. One…two…three!"

And she teleported with the Rock Dragon, remembering what the room above them had looked like. She needed to do that in order to make everything work, or there could be problems.

But when she opened her eyes, she found that she had succeeded, and they were back in the room. Now having done what she needed to do, she turned back to Flashwing. "Now tell me," Stealth Elf said, "what is going on? Why are you hunting Lava Toads? And why is there a bone right there?"

Flashwing quickly told her everything, from how they had found the Bonebuilder known as Ooga, to how they had split into groups, and finally to how Bash had gotten himself stuck in the hole. When she finished, Stealth Elf just stared at her for a few moments.

Then she turned her head back to the opening.

"We need to go ahead and get out of here," she said. "Let's see if we can converge with Spyro and the others. I have news that I need to tell them, and I know for sure he's not going to like it."

Despite all that was happening with them, there were no problems for the moment with Slam Bam and Whirlwind. The both of them were good friends, having many similar interests. There was also one other thing that both of them shared: a mutual dislike for Cynder.

After hearing that Cynder had been unable to protect Whirlwind from being injured in the Underworld during their first mission, Slam Bam had confronted the Black Dragoness and told her off. Now he hated her, and he would do anything to make sure that she left the Skylanders.

"I do wonder at times," he announced to Whirlwind, "how it can be that Spyro can trust that Black Dragoness. Honestly, she's nothing more than a complete nightmare to be around."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Whirlwind said. "Yes, I'll admit I don't like her, but I think that's a bit harsh for one to say. I believe she's a great pain in the butt, but I don't think we should talk about her as if she doesn't have any friends. Both of us know she does have friends, and they'll defend her every chance they get."

"Yeah, well, they're on the losing side," Slam Bam said.

"You do realize that we're all on the same side, right?" Whirlwind asked. "As a result, with what you just said, that means we're all on the losing side. That means you're actually insulting me, as well."

"Please don't tell me you're trying to defend the Black Dragoness," Slam Bam said. "We all know Cynder's hiding something, and I just want to know what it is."

"It's probably better if we allow her to have some kind of privacy for now," Whirlwind said. "Yes, I know she has a secret, and I wouldn't mind knowing what that secret is, as well, but at the same time, everyone deserves their privacy. I may not like her, but I think it's kind of awesome that she was able to find love. I'd love to be able to find…well, love. It's not going to be easy, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it some day."

Slam Bam was not sure what more he could say. It was almost as though Whirlwind was _defending_ Cynder, which was something he could not understand. It was obvious that there was no one around that actually liked the Black Dragoness, apart from her small group of friends and her mate.

He would have continued pondering had it not been for what came bounding across the ground just a few feet in front of them: a Lava Toad.

"There it is!" Whirlwind said. "We can go ahead and take it down!"

"Do you think it might try to attack us?" Slam Bam asked.

"I don't think so," Whirlwind said. "We're Skylanders, anyway, so it shouldn't matter way too much. Now, just follow my lead. I'm going to go ahead and make this thing bleed!"

She released a Tempest Cloud, which flashed electricity and caused the Lava Toad to screech in pain and in horror. Then Slam Bam did as Whirlwind had said, and he released his Ice Prison attack. The attack sent the Lava Toad flying. Neither of them could tell where it was going as it flew through the sky. Where it had stood, however, there was the bone, as well as a glittering little object seemingly made of gold.

Whirlwind looked closer and found that the object was a key. Very munch intrigued, she went closer and picked up both the bone and the key. Then she turned back to Slam Bam. "For some reason, this thing dropped a key along with the bone," she explained. "I have no idea why, but I don't think it matters right now. What matters is that we get back to Spyro and the others as soon as possible." And with that, she took off running, with Slam Bam hurrying along in her wake.

Now that it was done, Spyro had started on his way to where Hex and the rest of the Skylanders were. He had the key with him, as well as the bone. On his right was Sunburn, and on his left were Sgt. Byrd and Ooga.

"Thank you again, Spyro," Ooga said. "Now I hope the others can find the other pieces of my friend, so that he might be able to come to life once more!"

Spyro nodded as though he was interested in what the Bonebuilder was saying, but there was a part of him that was nowhere near interested in hearing what he had to say. He just wanted to get out here and reach Evening Lake and Charmed Ridge before any other horrible things could happen.

As they walked, Spyro caught sight of the one he had been hoping most to see.

As Cynder and Sonic Boom approached, Sunburn ran forward and hugged Sonic Boom. Cynder hugged Spyro once she was closer.

"Have any trouble?" he asked.

"No," she said. "But I did find this along with the bone." She held up a key, and Spyro's eyes widened. "What is it?"

"We also found a key," Spyro said.

"Then we're not the only ones," a voice said from behind him. Spyro turned around to find Slam Bam there with Whirlwind, and not far away were Flashwing and Bash, though they were now accompanied by Stealth Elf and Camo.

"It's good to see you two again," he said. "What did Cali send you?"

"I'll explain it later," Stealth Elf said. "I heard that you also found a key. Well, you're definitely not the only ones. I'm wondering what these keys go to. Do you think it's like last time, when the keys helped us to open the portal to Midday Gardens?"

"I think so," Spyro said. "Which means that we have a way to get out of here." He looked to Sgt. Byrd. "Once we see where the portal should be, do you think these keys will unlock it?"

Sgt. Byrd examined the keys, then looked back up at Spyro. "Well, I should have looked them over just a little bit before, because I now realize that these are, in fact, the keys that will allow you to go to Evening Lake."

With that, Spyro, Cynder, and their allies, hurried back to Hex. He quickly explained everything to her and the rest of the Skylanders. After giving the bones back to Ooga, who thanked them yet again for their help, then departed so he could bring his friend back to life, Spyro looked to Sgt. Byrd.

"Follow me," he said, rising up and flapping his wings towards the large hole in the ground where the statue of the Sorceress had once been. He flew inside, and the Skylanders followed, one by one.

"Isn't this where the portal to the skateboard park used to be?" Spyro asked.

"Yes, but that portal was moved a while back," Sgt. Byrd said. "Now, present your keys to this lock!" He motioned to a white marble door with four indentations within it. Spyro, Cynder, Stealth Elf, and Whirlwind all did so, and the keys suddenly flew into their indentations.

Then the white marble doors began to slide open, revealing a portal.

"There it is, the portal to the Evening Lake," Sgt. Byrd. "Be careful, Spyro, as you are beginning to edge closer to the problems that this Shadow Golem has created. I do not want to lose one of my greatest allies."

"Don't worry, that won't happen," Spyro assured him with a smile. He looked over to Cynder, who smiled back. "One thing I want you to do, though, is go to Midnight Mountain. We won't be able to go there as a result of Zelophehad being in Charmed Ridge. But I think it's better if we get help from Agent 9. I know he's crazy, but he's a great ally of ours at the same time. We could use him."

"I get that," Sgt. Byrd said. "I'll go and find him as soon as I can. Then we'll travel to Charmed Ridge when the time comes. I promise you that we will not let you down, old friend."

Spyro nodded. Then he looked back to Cynder. "Are you ready for this?" he asked.

She nodded.

Looking back at the Skylanders, he said, "Follow my lead!"

Then, with Cynder still by his side, and after one last nod to Sgt. Byrd, he opened his wings and flew into the portal.


	10. The Heretic Jewel

**Chapter Nine:**

 **The Heretic Jewel**

The creature moved in the dead of night. This was the only way in which he could do this, or else he would draw far too much attention to himself. After leaving the Cat Wizard for dead in the cave, Zelophehad had continued on, remembering what it was he had been meaning to do before being sealed away.

Being sealed away had caused him to lose much of his strength, and though it had now returned as a result of stealing the life-force from the body of the other Cat Wizard with the Prince, it still was not as it had once been. After being sealed away, it had almost completely left him. That was why he wanted nothing more than to be able to find the one who had sealed him away and kill him.

 _And I will find him one of these days,_ Zelophehad thought. _It might not be easy, but I believe I will be able to find this monster and end him. He caused me great pain as a result of what it took to seal me away. That Dragon will not be able to escape death this time around._

He looked around himself and found there was a bridge stretching across a ravine. Down below, he could see rushing water. It was flowing over the rocks and creating a sound that would have enchanted anyone that was not as evil as he.

There was the castle in front of him, about three-hundred feet from where the bridge ended on the other side of the ravine. If he could get there, then he would be able to reclaim what he truly wanted. He wanted it more than anything, and now that he had returned, he would be able to get it. No Elves would stop him this time, that he knew. If any attempted to stop him, they would only face his wrath.

 _They cannot hope to fight me. Those that have tried have all been killed, with the exception of that Dragon. But likely, none of those who will oppose me now are anything like he was…or is. I'm not sure if he is still alive, but I do know the pain I felt as a result of him. If he ever shows himself again…the truth is that I am not sure what I shall do. I have never felt such pain before. There was then the creature he had by his side when he sealed me away. But that was no Dragon…it was a Dragoness._

As he crossed the bridge, he also noticed a village stood between him and the castle. If he had to, then he would destroy that village and all those who lived within it. He did not care if there were husbands or wives or children within those homes. If any of them decided to stand in his way, to stop him from getting to the castle, then he would destroy them, no questions asked.

He continued over the bridge until it had ended, and when he was fully over the bridge, he found himself only that much closer to the village. He decided he would pass through it, just so he could show those who lived there that he was truly a force to be reckoned with, and so that others would know it was suicide if they wanted to go ahead and attempt to prevent his progress.

The smell of smoke was in the air, and Zelophehad saw that it belonged to a campfire in the middle of a circle of the inhabitants. While he wanted to call them "Cat Wizards," he remembered the correct term was "Felinians." Then, looking closer, he found Fairies there, as well, and a few kissing one another. He sneered at the thought of the two races mixing together. How was it possible?

Deciding not to pay anymore mind to the disgusting sight he had no witnessed, he continued forward.

The castle was just in front of him as he passed by the village. He believed he was nearly out of the range of the village, too, until a voice rang throughout the village and caused the Shadow Golem to stop in his tracks.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Whirling around, Zelophehad found one of the Felinians standing before him. They looked as though they had seen some battle, with scars crossing their face. They had a small rapier clasped to their belt, which was tied around their robe.

"Who are you, Felinian?" Zelophehad asked. "Who would dare challenge me? A Shadow Golem, once it is on a set path, cannot be stopped! You must be brave to confront me, especially after what I did to your Prince!"

"Prince Azrael?" the Felinian said. "What have you done? Where is he? WHERE IS HE!"

By this time, many of the Felinians had heard the commotion that was going down within their village. Zelophehad could see them all coming to watch what was happening. He did not really want to take all their lives, but he knew he would if he had to.

"You all are surely coming to watch, as most do when they hear something such as this occurring within the confines of their homes and villages," Zelophehad said to them all. "I am here to take back what is mine. I have already killed your Prince, and I am willing to kill all of you. You can escape that fate, however, if you decide to go back to your homes and allow me to gain entrance to the castle. Once I am in there, I shall be able to reclaim what was taken from me several years ago. I am unsure of how long ago it truly was, now that I think about it, but I do know it has been some time since I was imprisoned by the monstrous Dragon who plagued all these lands at one time. I do not know where he is now, but it does not matter any longer. Allow me to go forward, and I shall not harm any of you."

At his mention of his killing Prince Azrael, there was an outpouring of grief from those that had assembled around him. The Shadow Golem shared a half-smile to himself, which was the closest he could muster to a full smile, as a result of what he was. Creatures such as himself could not truly smile due to the darkness that raged within them. Shadow Golems were no exception, and he was sure Dragons were the same if they were controlled by darkness.

"You will not be going anywhere!" the Felinian who looked to be the guard of the village shouted. "You will be staying here until we can figure out what it is that we shall do with you! Your crimes are numerous, for I know what and who you are! I have done my research, fortunately, and now that I have recognized you, I am going to ensure that you cannot see the light of day ever again!"

The Felinian retrieved their rapier and held it up. Their plan, it seemed, was to use the puny weapon against Zelophehad. It would not do any good, however, for the Shadow Golem was imbued with Magic that would stop such weapons from causing him any damage. He allowed the Felinian to swing the rapier, which shattered against his left leg.

The Felinian looked up at him in great shock. In response, Zelophehad grabbed the Felinian by the throat and concentrated. The life-force left their body, strengthening him. It was a grand feeling, to be able to feel more of his power now surging through him. There were cries as the body dropped.

Now satisfied, Zelophehad turned his back and continued walking. There was not much farther he would have to go in order to make it to the castle. When this was finally over, he vowed he would completely destroy the village.

The castle was only about a hundred feet away from him as he exited the village through the southern gateway. He could see how it rose into the night sky, a large, white construct made of stone, with many windows present. Yellow light streamed through the many windows, giving a sign that there were many who were still home.

He remembered the similar castle there in the Elven city that one night, where he had caused the major damage that had cost the lives of many. He had even killed that one young Elf's father, which he had found great joy in. But even that could not sate his thirst for the blood of whoever now stood in his way. He would reclaim what it was that he wanted most of all tonight, and no one would be able to stop him this time.

There was a part of him that wondered where that little Elf was now. While he had wanted to kill her, he'd also believed it was better, back then, to let her see the destruction that he could rain down upon them. Of course, if he'd possessed the Heretic Jewel at the time, then things would have been far better. Instead, it had been sent away, and he'd spent the better part of over a decade to find it. But then he had been sealed away, only able to produce projections. While they were sometimes useful, those projections did not accomplish as much as he had hoped. All they had brought back to him was fear, and while he could use fear, it did not help him very much while he was still there in that cave.

But there was no need for him to worry about that anymore, for he had finally reached the castle. Now that he was here, he was going to do his best to try and find a way to get inside. Once inside, then the most important part of his mission could finally get underway. He knew as of that moment that he would not fail. If anyone stood in his way, then they would fall as a result of his great power.

As soon as he had reached the area just in front of the castle—a moat that was complete with a drawbridge—he heard a sound that caused him to look up and see several guards atop the battlements. They were all staring down at him, and he guessed that they were going to try to stop him from gaining entrance.

"Who are you, beast, and what do you want?" one of the Felinians demanded from Zelophehad. He guessed he was the captain of the guards. "You've no business here, unless you are here to tell us what has happened to Prince Azrael!"

"Your Prince has met his end!" Zelophehad announced to all those above him. "I killed him, as well as the two companions that were there by his side. Those two were the ones I used to replenish my strength, which was taken from me when I was sealed away! I sucked their life-force from their bodies, and while I am not as strong as I once was, I can still fight and destroy all of you up there! Show me what it is you can do, and let's see how I'll be able to do it better!"

There were shouts of surprise and shock, just as there had been in the village, when he finished his explanation of what had happened to their Prince. This brought a smile to the Shadow Golem's face, as it meant he had caused these soldiers—if that was truly what they were—pain.

"Is it true?" the captain of the guards asked. "Have you truly killed our Prince? Is he truly gone from this world?"

"Yes," Zelophehad replied. "If you weren't deaf, then you might have heard that by now. I will not repeat myself, Felinian. Allow me entrance, or you shall watch as I destroy everything that you hold most dear! I do not believe that is what you want, now is it? I've seen the looks on your faces before, and all of them told me the same exact thing: that you have family, friends, and possessions stored somewhere inside."

Just as he believed the captain of the guards would truly stand down, he heard more shouting from on top of the castle. Zelophehad sighed, wishing this would move along much faster. He had places to be, as well as things to collect. Tarrying would cause what he was looking for to possibly disappear…again.

The captain of the guards' voice appeared once more, and this time Zelophehad could not help but laugh. "Archers, mount, and prepare to fire!" the captain commanded. The reason that Zelophehad was laughing was because he had not expected the captain of the guards to attempt something so silly!

How could he possibly believe that mere arrows would be able to take down someone such as him? It was nigh unbelievable, and when he finally got the chance, Zelophehad vowed he would teach the captain of the guards a lesson in humility, which the Shadow Golem had been forced to learn on his own through all his years of forced imprisonment.

The archers did as the captain of the guards had asked. Zelophehad continued staring at them as the captain finally gave the order to loose the arrows. They came hurtling towards him, and if he were some common beast, then he would have been struck down by such an attack.

But being a Shadow Golem, he had protective enchantments all over him. As the arrows neared, they began turning to ash. This was something neither the archers nor the captain of the guards had seen before, and Zelophehad could tell this by the sudden shocked cries and yells that appeared from off the top of the castle.

Zelophehad looked up again. "If you believed your arrows would actually do anything to me, then you are sorely mistaken, Felinian," he said. "I have endured far worse pain over the many hundreds and even thousands of years that I have walked Skylands. I cannot be simply struck down by weapons that would kill some common beast such as a boar or a wolf…or even a Dragon that knows nothing of what they're doing. You can try again and see if you obtain a chance to kill me, but you will see nothing but failure in your future."

The captain of the guards prepared his soldiers to fire again. Zelophehad couldn't believe it. It just seemed as if it had come out of some children's story! And yet, these were the defenses of a castle in one of the worlds of the Forgotten Realms! Zelophehad was not sure what it was that had crept into their skulls as they slept, but one thing he knew was that there was only one thing he could do now.

He concentrated, then sent forth a projection of himself to the top of the castle. While imprisoned, these projections could not do very much, but after being freed, Zelophehad had looked within himself to find those powers somewhat increased. He was going to use this to his advantage now.

His projection began slaughtering all those atop the castle, and there were horrible screams that rent the night air. Zelophehad watched through the eyes of his projection as a soldier's neck was broken. A quick, hard punch sent one crumpling into the stone beneath them, never to move again.

Then there was the captain of the guards. Concentrating, though knowing he could not keep up his projection much longer, Zelophehad released a great deal of energy that incinerated most of those that were too near it. However, in the case of the captain, he was hit by a concussive blast that instead sent him plummeting to the ground. It was a long fall, and when it was over, Zelophehad guessed that the captain would not be in the best of shape. That was, if he survived at all. It was very possible that he would not survive the fall.

When the captain hit the ground, Zelophehad immediately started on his way over to him. When he finally stood over the defeated Felinian, the Shadow Golem could see the pain upon his face. He wore a black robe. His fur was a bright orange, though streaks of yellow could be seen. His eyes were a bright green. Blood was leaking from his mouth and nostrils, and there was bloody wound upon his head.

Picking the Felinian up, he heard grunts of extreme pain.

"What is your name, captain?" Zelophehad asked with a soft tone.

"Naracus," he answered. He cradled his right arm, and Zelophehad guessed the appendage was broken. "What are you, and what is it that you want? Why did you kill our Prince? And how is it that you came to be here? I think I deserve answers, since these are my last moments."

"Well, you are not wrong when you say that these are your last moments," Zelophehad said. "I would tell you where it is I have come from and how I came to be here, but the only issue I face with something such as that is that I have to find something I believe has been hidden within this castle. But as for one of your questions, if you must know, I am Zelophehad, and I am a Shadow Golem." An eerie silence fell between them. "Well, then," Zelophehad finally said, breaking the silence, "now that that is done, I must attend to others things. Farewell, Naracus. You fought well, but in the end, you were no match for one such as me. At least your family can now say, however, that you have suffered a hero's death."

And with that, the Shadow Golem slammed a hand into Naracus's skull. The neck was broken instantly, and the impact, which was truly great, caused many of the windows upon the castle to suddenly shatter.

When it was done, Zelophehad dropped the body.

He hurried through the next few rooms as quick as he could. It was not easy to move so quick due to being so large. However, he did what he could to the best of his ability, and soon he had been able to get through several main doors. It wouldn't be long now until he reached the throne room.

"Halt!" a soldier yelled at him as they came forward from the next room, the doors having burst open as they entered. "You shall not pass! You cannot get past me!"

"Fool," Zelophehad snarled. "You know nothing of me, nor of my power."

Raising his large left hand again, Zelophehad blasted the soldier through the chest with Shadow Energy. When it was done, that soldier lay on the floor, blood pooling around them from the large hole in the middle of their chest.

Before continuing forward, Zelophehad stopped and looked down at them.

"You were brave, especially since you were alone," he said. "But even you must realize that you cannot hope to kill me by yourself. Those that have tried have all failed, and even the one who came closest had to seal me away instead of dealing the final blow. When my end comes, it will be by my own hand, not another's, for I will die before I give in to another. But then, who is there that can best me?"

With that, Zelophehad continued.

 _If another stands in my way, they shall suffer the same fate as this one,_ he thought. _My imprisonment has dampened my power, but that will not impede me forever. What I am looking for is here, and soon not even the Wizards will be able to take me down._

He blasted open another set of doors, which revealed the interior of the next room to be a long corridor that was at least seventy feet from the end Zelophehad had entered through to the next set of doors.

The throne room had to be close, he knew. Once he entered it, he would use his knowledge against the ruler of this Realm. He believed one of the three he had killed in the caves had been her husband, and that would help him to gain control over her. Looking over to his right, he found a set of windows that stretched from floor to ceiling, showing the beautiful scene outside. Zelophehad nodded to himself, thinking how he would soon turn this Realm into one set in his own image.

The doors ahead of him burst open, and more soldiers came through. Zelophehad almost wanted to sigh, as he wondered how these soldiers could possibly think they would be able to take him down. "All those who already stood in my path have been killed by my hand," he told them. "If you wish to stand in my way still, then know you will soon meet the same fate as they. I do not take prisoners very often, and this time there will be only one exception."

"Kill it!" one of the soldiers yelled, likely the captain.

Arrows flew at Zelophehad, but he cast a Dark Spell that turned them back towards the soldiers who loosed them, as well as imbuing them with the same Dark Magic that coursed through his body. Within mere moments, all those soldiers had met their end. Only the one who had given the order to kill him still stood. "I wish things could have gone better for you," Zelophehad drawled. "But at the same time, even you must know that you cannot delay the inevitable. This is one of those times, and all those who stand in my way will be cut down, whether they realize it or not. There is a part of me that wishes things could be different, but I know that is impossible, and so I will cry over the blood that I have spilled."

The lead soldier now cowered before him, and the Shadow Golem could not help but take pride in this.

With another wave of his hand, the soldier's neck was opened by a blade of Shadow. Taking care to tread on each of the bodies, Zelophehad finally burst through the doors before him and found exactly what he had been looking for:

The throne room.

A Fairy hovered above the floor, the crown lying upon her head signifying her place as the Princess. Looking around, Zelophehad noticed the tapestries revealing how the Realm had come to be, how the Prince and Princess had met, and how things seemed to be: peaceful and serene. _That will soon be the very opposite,_ Zelophehad thought.

"Who are you, monster, and what do you want?" the Princess asked in an accent Zelophehad considered foreign.

"My name is Zelophehad, and you have something I want more than anything else in Skylands," he replied. "But first, where is the King and the Queen of this Realm? They are those whom I shall pose my question to, rather than you."

"The King and Queen will soon be crowned, but for now we are Prince and Princess," the Fairy replied. Looking her over, Zelophehad saw her skin had a pinkish hue, and her eyes were a bright green. She wore a canary-yellow dress, and her translucent wings were giving off what looked to be blue-and-green sparkles, with hints of purple and red every once in a while. "So, you can pose your question to me, or to my husband when he finally returns."

"I assume your husband is a Cat Wizard?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Well, for one thing, there are the tapestries covering the whole room. For another…I believe I might have killed him before finally coming here. I realize that is not the news you were looking for, but I still think it is good that you know. But don't be sad, Princess. I'm sure you'll see him again, very soon."

"You killed my husband?" the Princess asked in a hushed tone. "You killed him? But how? When? Why?"

"I killed him in the caverns after I was freed," Zelophehad explained. "I believe it was an accident that my freedom came about, but it no longer matters. I just know he was with two of his acquaintances at the time of his death. Now, before we continue, Princess, what is your name?"

Though obviously grieving, the Princess still answered, "Ami."

"Well, Ami, I wish I could give you my condolences, but the truth is, I do not care how much blood I spill, so long as I get exactly what I want."

"And what do you want?"

"The Heretic Jewel."

Ami's bright green eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know of that?" she gasped.

"So it is here," Zelophehad said. "I believed it would be, but I was not sure. That was the entire reason I came here, and while I was sealed away, I plotted my escape and my discovery of it. I believed it was in those caverns, but during the many years I spent in that wall, I realized that it wouldn't be in there. It seemed too difficult a place to find it. I realized it would instead be placed where everyone believed it might be, so much so that they would soon believe there was no way that it could be there. And so, they would search within the caverns, like I did so blindly. That, I believe, is one of the reasons I was imprisoned. There are others, to be sure, and I do know exactly what they were. But now, Princess, tell me where the Heretic Jewel is. I know you have an understanding of it, and I'm sure you know its location quite well. So, tell me. Now."

He could see that Ami did not want to divulge the information to him whatsoever. He could see that she wanted nothing more to tell him something vulgar or threatening. But at the same time, he could see the great fear in her eyes. He did not know how much longer she could keep this from him. He knew she was going to give him what he needed to know.

Just as he had believed, she could not help but give in to his threats.

"It is over there," she said with an inflected tone that gave the sense of defeat. "I do not think any good will come of you possessing it, but all the same, I know defeat when I see it."

Zelophehad looked to where she was pointing, and he saw a large, rectangular door made of chrome. "A vault," he said. "How original." He looked back at Ami. "You giving me this information may not seem to help you in the end, but it will help me, and that is what truly matters. Now, now, Princess, do not grieve for your husband just yet. There are many great things that are about to come of this. You will be rewarded for your help one day." When finished giving his monologue to Ami, Zelophehad turned towards the vault and strode to it. He held up his right hand and blasted the vault's door, which took it right off its hinges. "Now to reclaim what I truly want," he said.

He entered the vault and found a great many treasures, many of which looked as though they could belong in a museum. There were jewels that held no value to Zelophehad, with the Heretic Jewel being the only kind of gem he really wanted. There were gold and silver goblets encrusted with many of these jewels, as well. A great sword hung in the far back, emblazoned with glyphs that read: _Warrior of Charmed Ridge_.

Then he saw it.

The Heretic Jewel lay on a pedestal just a bit above where Zelophehad now stood. He hurried to it, wanting nothing more than to take it and wield its power. The King of that Elven Realm could not stop him from claiming what the Shadow Golem believed to be his birthright.

Walking to it, Zelophehad used his Dark Magic to raise himself into the air and float in front of the top of the pedestal.

"At last, you are mine," he said.

He reached out to touch it…

…and when his hand clasped around the dark gem, memories of the events that had led to this moment flashed before him.

 _"You will not find it, Golem," the Dark Figure had said in their distorted tone that would commonly strike fear into the hearts of those who heard it; however, Zelophehad was not affected in such a way. Though Zelophehad knew who they were, he referred to him as the Dark Figure because of the hate he had for their true name. "It has been sent somewhere that you will never find. It isn't far, and yet it isn't close. Not even I would resort to such means to get what I want, which is why I will not allow you to find or take it."_

 _"What authority do you have over me?!" Zelophehad had demanded. "I am the Shadow Golem that will bring all of Skylands to its knees! Nothing in this universe will be able to stop me!"_

 _"How wrong you are."_

 _With those words, the Dark Figure used some kind of power that stopped Zelophehad in his tracks. Suddenly the Shadow Golem could not move, and he found himself being forced into the rocky wall behind him. He felt pain, though he did not know how. He screamed as he became encased within the stone. Soon enough, he could not speak, and memory and time ceased for him._

 _At least, for the time-being._

Zelophehad slammed into the ground. He realized he'd been in a trance. Looking down at his open palm, he found he had the Heretic Jewel in his grasp. He had not ever heard of the dark gem being able to give visions to those that held it, only destruction.

A thought crossed his mind, and he whirled around. He hurried into the throne room, finding that it was now empty. That was when he understood exactly what had happened: the Princess had forced him to relive the memory of those events. During that time, she had taken the chance to run—or fly, he guessed, since she was a Fairy. Either way, she had taken the chance to try an escape attempt. Now he ran after her, hoping to stop her from getting too far. If she escaped, then there would be problems that would arise.

As he ran after her, Ami was flying through the halls, seeing all the bodies of the guards that had attempted to stop the Shadow Golem from entering the throne room. It horrified her, and she wished there was some way for her to resurrect them and stop all of this from ever happening.

A blast of Dark Magic flew above her head and hit a stone column just ahead of her. As the column crumbled, it brought down pieces of the stone roof it was connected to, and soon Ami found that she was trapped, as the stones covered her only way to escape.

Slowly turning around, she found Zelophehad standing there. She could see he was not happy at all with her.

In his right palm was the Heretic Jewel.

"Did you really think you could escape me, Princess?" he asked softly, though his tone still conveyed his great anger.

"I'm not sure, but I still tried," she answered honestly. "If what you say is true—if my husband truly is dead—then there is nothing left for me here. Please, allow me to leave. I am of no use to you."

"Except you are," Zelophehad said. "You will be my prisoner, and the only reason for this is so that you do not bring reinforcements. Not that they can kill me, but even then, it would not be good for them to come. So, this is what shall happen. You may not like it, but you will be my prisoner, and that is the end of the story." He looked down at the Heretic Jewel. "I've been looking for this for so long, and now it is mine. I will not fail in my attempt to take over Skylands." With that, he moved forward. Ami watched as his large hand appeared over her head, and she closed her eyes.

There was quick pain at the top of her skull, and she fell into unconsciousness before hitting the floor.

Zelophehad looked down at her, then again at the Heretic Jewel in his right palm, and said, "Now for the next phase of my plan…"


	11. Evening Lake and the Frozen Altars

**Chapter Ten:**

 **Evening Lake and the Frozen Altars**

Spyro could see the end of the portal just ahead of him. He quickened his pace and soon found he had exited the portal. A strange, breezy feeling came over him, but it soon vanished when he finally beheld the third Homeworld of the Forgotten Realms.

The sun hung very low in the red-orange sky, and that was almost always how it stayed.

Though there were times where it would change, it was because of this that the Homeworld had received half of its name.

He looked over and found the very familiar half-submerged castle that stood in the center of the azure lake that gave the Homeworld the second half of its name. He stared at it for a few moments before feeling a paw on his shoulder.

Turning his head to the right, he found Cynder, with Sunburn and Sonic Boom next to her.

"So, this is Evening Lake?" Cynder said. "Better-looking than I imagined. Though, for some reason, the look of everything makes me a bit tired."

Spyro laughed.

"Yeah, I know that feeling," he said. "I have to admit that this is my least-favorite of the Homeworlds in the Forgotten Realms. But it does have one of my favorite locations, so there's that. Hopefully that's where we'll have to go, and not…" His voice trailed off as he beheld something a small distance away from them. "What in the heck is that?"

Another tower stood about twenty feet away from the lake, and Spyro did not know how it had come to be, as he had never seen it before during his time here.

"Something's not right," he finally concluded.

"Well, I think we've known that since we started on this journey, right?" Slam Bam said from behind him. "Especially since you brought that thing along with you."

There was a dark laugh that followed that remark, and Spyro felt anger rising within him.

He began to turn around, but Cynder placed her left paw on his right shoulder again.

"Don't," she said. "You'll only make things worse."

Spyro sighed and nodded at her.

He was glad she was his conscience, as he was sure he would make many more rash decisions if he didn't have her to help him.

That was one of the main reasons he loved her and had vowed to spend the rest of his life with her.

"The problem is, I've never seen that tower before, and I'm starting to wonder how it came to be or why it's there to begin with," Spyro announced to the Skylanders. "But there is one thing I can tell you that counts as good news: This is where the portal to Charmed Ridge is. But we can't go through it just like I commonly did when the Sorceress was around. I think we've stumbled onto something we'll have to take care of before we get over to Charmed Ridge. I hate that, but there's no way we can just leave something like this standing if it's not supposed to be there."

"So, how do we take it down? It's not a bad plan, but I still don't fully understand what we do," Cynder said.

Spyro realized he hadn't truly thought the plan through, and now he wondered what they should actually do next. He felt as though he was becoming a fool in the eyes of those who did not fully support him, and that, in his opinion, was extremely problematic.

Before he could say anything more to them, however, a voice carried down towards them from the top of the castle, causing Spyro to look up.

"Spyro, how good to see you again! And you've brought guests!"

When he looked up, Spyro saw the Yeti he'd been hoping to find: Bentley.

At least seven-and-a-half-feet-tall, with white fur, yellow eyes, and black hands and feet, along with two curved horns protruding from the top of his skull, Bentley was definitely an intimidating figure.

Bentley jumped from the top of the castle, plunged into the serene blue waters of the lake, and surfaced a moment later. He crawled onto the ground and stood to his feet.

"How may I help my good friend? Or, better yet, maybe you can help me by telling me who all these visitors are. I've received some of your letters, so I can assume these are the Skylanders, but I've never really known their names."

"Well, this is Cynder, my mate," Spyro began. He saw Bentley's yellow eyes widen at this. "Then there's Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt, and…well, right now, Bentley, this isn't a good time to talk about this. I'm sure you know why we're here."

"I certainly do," the Yeti said. "And let me just say, congratulations on the marriage. Your mate truly is beautiful." Spyro looked over after Bentley had said this and saw Cynder smiling brightly. "Now, you're right, I'm just so used to exchanging pleasantries before everything else, but I know this is not the time for that. Anyway…yes, I know of the situation in Charmed Ridge and how that Shadow Golem has now taken over the castle and imprisoned Princess Ami. As a result of that, I also understand well that we do not have much time before we have to set out. But I know that this Shadow Golem has also found an army, though I'm not sure how. They patrol different areas of the Ridge, making going through the portal itself suicide. As a result, we must find another way in. It won't be easy, but it'll be worth it in the end."

Spyro nodded. "Which portal do you think we should go through, then?"

"I'd say the Frozen Altars," Bentley said.

As soon as Spyro heard this, he shook his head. "Are you sure? I don't think that's such a good idea," he said.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Bentley asked.

"It's just…Cynder has a problem with cold," Spyro said. "She has little to no body heat, and so she's going to have a problem within the Frozen Altars. Is there any way we could go through another portal?"

"Unfortunately, no. With the portals being watched as closely as they are, we'll have to go through the Frozen Altars, then my home, and then Fireworks Factory, before finally reaching Charmed Ridge. Trust me, I wouldn't want to go through all of it, but we don't have much of a choice, old friend."

Spyro sighed. He felt Cynder's paw on his left shoulder, and he looked over to her.

"It's okay," she assured him. "It will cause me trouble, but I'll be fine. Let's just go through and finish this."

Despite how hard it was, Spyro finally nodded, then looked back up to Bentley.

"Okay, we'll do it," he said. Suddenly, he saw a look of worry upon Bentley's face. "Hey, is something wrong?"

Bentley took a little bit to answer. It looked as though there was something truly bothering him.

"Well," he said, "there is a problem, and while I didn't want to mention it at first because of how much you're already dealing with, I might as well go ahead and tell you. There are some other Yetis within my Realm, and…they've been causing me some major trouble. There's something much different about them. It's almost as if they've been enhanced."

Spyro thought about this.

From what he had heard about the Shadow Golem, it wouldn't have surprised him if they had been imbued with some of his energy in exchange for working for him.

He quickly relayed this possible information to Bentley. "But I don't understand," he said. "How is that possible?"

"There are times where I'm still asking myself that question," Spyro answered. "But we can't waste time. The more time we spend here, the less time we'll have to take this Shadow Golem down. We'll help you, but one thing I need to know is if you're with me."

"I most certainly am," Bentley said. He held out a large hand, and Spyro slapped it with his front right paw.

"So, how do we get to the Frozen Altars?" Cynder asked.

"Well, that's another problem," Spyro said. He looked behind her at the other Skylanders. "I hope, those of you with fur and feathers, that you don't mind getting wet!"

"What do you mean?" Slam Bam demanded. "Why would we have to worry about getting wet? Aren't all of these portals around us?"

"No," Bentley said. "They're all underwater. Trust me, it's not the most fun, but for what it is that we are currently doing, it's also not the worst thing to go through. Now, come on! We don't have anymore time we can waste!"

He jumped into the water without any hesitation.

The splash hit a few of the Skylanders, including Sonic Boom and Sunburn.

"Well, that was pleasant," Sunburn said in a joking way. Then he looked to Spyro. "Is it time?"

"Yes."

As soon as Spyro spoke those words, he jumped into the water. Cynder followed suit.

As soon as she had jumped into the water, she found it a good temperature, one that she would love to take the time to swim in.

But she knew that would not be able to happen, as she had to commit herself to what really mattered.

The first thing she noticed was the presence of the shipwreck below her, as well as the sticks that stood before the entrance of a cave that seemed to be sparking.

She remembered what Spyro had told her of the Fireworks Factory, and she guessed that was where the main entrance to that Realm was.

Following Spyro, whom she found swimming through the waters with ease, she realized Bentley was nowhere in sight. Then she saw the portal they were planning on going through. There was an ornate look to it that drew her towards it.

Spyro reached the portal, and he turned around to watch as she neared him. He smiled, and then waited for her to join him.

As soon as she had reached him, the two of them entered the portal.

Sunburn and Sonic Boom did the same, but the difference was that Sonic Boom had to hurry, as she was starting to lose air.

Unlike Dragons, or Hybrids with Dragon blood within their DNA, Griffins were unable to breathe underwater forever. Sonic Boom wished she could, as she very much loved swimming.

She shook that from her mind as she finally reached the portal.

She looked back to Sunburn, who was right behind her. As soon as he reached her, they intertwined their paws and went straight through the portal, hoping that when they reached the other side, everything would be totally fine.

The next feeling the two of them felt was something akin to being sucked down a drain.

While the truth was that neither of them had ever experienced something such as that, they believed this would be the feeling if that were to happen.

The sky around them was a bluish color, with some pink and violet also appearing, and there were snowcapped peaks and clouds also visible around them.

A light appeared at the end of the portal, and both looked at each other as it approached.

As the two of them were experiencing this, Spyro and Cynder had reached dry ground, standing within a cave with a lit fire in the middle of it. Bentley had gone outside to check where they were, and possibly, to see everything that was going on.

Spyro looked around, surprised at where they had landed, as it was not a location he was used to.

When he had first come to this Realm, he had been out in the open.

Why had things changed in such a way?

"Something the matter, Spyro?" Bentley asked as he appeared from outside. He had evidently seen the confusion upon Spyro's face.

"I don't remember being in this cave when I first came here," Spyro said.

"Well, that would be because things have changed," Bentley replied. "Ever since that Shadow Golem came about, we had to try and hide some of the secrets of the Forgotten Realms, and though it was not at all easy, I think we did a good job. This cave would confuse many, since you would expect to be out in the open. Not to mention, we aren't too far from the wilds of the Frozen Altars. It will be a long hike to get to the main area and the next portal, but I do think we'll be able to do it in record time!"

When the Yeti had finished, Spyro looked over to Cynder, who looked to be amused by Bentley's long-winded explanation.

Sunburn and Sonic Boom soon appeared out of the portal behind them, and the two of them shook off their feathers.

"Well, that was an interesting experience," Sunburn said. He looked around the cave. "So, this is the entrance to the Frozen Altars?"

"Well, not exactly," Spyro said, "but we don't have the time for the explanation. We need to get moving if we're to stop Zelophehad from taking over the Forgotten Realms."

As soon as he had spoken, the rest of the Skylanders began appearing, all of them drying themselves near the fire before returning to where they had stood when they first appeared.

Spyro told everyone what needed to happen, as well as the fact it was quite cold outside. He looked over to Cynder when he had finished.

"Make sure to stay close to me," he said.

"I'll help, too," Sonic Boom volunteered.

They moved forward, exiting the cave. As they left, Bentley took a moment to extinguish the fire, then joined Spyro up at the front.

"I hope this all works out, don't you?" he said.

"I know it will," Spyro said.

"Your faith still hasn't been shaken by all that has happened?" Bentley asked.

"I've gone through a lot over the years, Bentley," Spyro said. "I know this could be one of those experiences where something I least expect occurs, but I've gone through enough where I have an idea we won't be getting too much else that we've never seen before. To be honest, when I first met you, I though I would never experience someone like you again. I thought you were quite weird at first, even. But as time went on, I began to understand you better than I'd ever thought possible. The one I still don't fully understand, though, has to be Agent 9."

"Who can understand him?" Bentley said. "Not even the one who created him, the Professor, understands what he created. Speaking of which, have you seen him of late? Or any of those he had with him?"

"As far as I know, he, Elora, and Hunter are back in Avalar," Spyro answered. "The next time I'll see them is something I'm not sure of."

As they conversed, Spyro was holding Cynder tightly, a wing draped over her, and Sonic Boom stood on Cynder's right side, her wing draped over her, as well.

They were going through the snow currently, and Spyro was certain Cynder was beginning to feel the extreme cold all around them.

"I did hear, though, that you and Elora had a thing for each other," Bentley suddenly announced.

As soon as he heard this, Spyro nearly stopped in his tracks. He had to keep moving, though, since he wanted to get Cynder through this tundra before she froze.

As a result, his shock at what Bentley had said remained on his face only. He still wasn't sure what he could possibly say, as he did not know that anyone would bring that subject up.

"Look," he said, "I don't really want to talk about that. Let's just say that Elora and I were good friends, and things began to move too quickly for me. I don't think of her as anything else but a friend. Now, is it possible that we can get off that subject?"

Bentley looked at him with a bit of surprise. Then he looked to Cynder, and Spyro watched as he seemed to understand why Spyro did not want to speak about it.

"I see," he said. "Well, I am very sorry. I thought I might try to help you, but I realize I am actually making things a little worse."

As she heard this, Cynder could not help but smile. While she was Spyro's mate, she understood that he must have had a few other loves before she had come into his life, and to hear more about how he and Elora had been involved in some way amused her.

Spyro looked to her.

"I'm sorry about that," he said.

"Don't be," she assured him. "I thought it was kind of funny."

"Really?" he said. "I thought you would be angry or something."

"Why in the heck would I be angry? You must have had s-someone th-that you were involved with, r-r-right?"

As she spoke, Spyro saw that she was beginning to shiver more than before. "Are you doing okay?"

"Kind of," she answered. "I'm j-just k-k-kind of f-freezing."

Spyro got closer to her, hoping to warm her more.

"Well, fret not, old friend," Bentley said, "for we are not far from where the Altars that give this Realm its name are located! We should be there within another hour or so!"

Spyro nodded.

A bit behind them, Slam Bam and his cronies were talking about what they had overheard with Spyro and Bentley.

"So, he had another fling," Slam Bam said. "I'm surprised the freak doesn't leave him for betraying her like that. I guess she likes relationships that won't work out in the end."

He, Bash, Warnado, and Camo laughed at this, until a sudden voice stopped them.

"You know," Hex said from just behind them, "I would think you'd want to be able to have children one day. If you don't stop, that chance will be removed completely. Even if I don't truly understand how friendship works, I know that Cynder is one of my greatest friends, and I will not have someone such as yourself besmirching her when she cannot even defend herself because of how cold she is! So, are we clear?"

The threat from Hex had caused Slam Bam to stare in front of him in great shock.

He nearly pressed his legs together to protect himself. Looking over to his cronies, he found all of them were just as shocked as he was, though slightly less so, most likely.

As soon as she had finished with them, Hex floated past them and situated herself nearer to Cynder, right next to Stealth Elf. "You did a good job back there," Stealth Elf said. "I don't think they'll be forgetting something like that for a long time."

"I know."

Stealth Elf knew Hex was not one to carry a conversation with, unless you were Cynder or Spyro, and so she did not try to carry the conversation on. Looking to her left, she found Sunburn was next to her. "I was wondering," she said as they continued to trudge through the snow, "are you and Sonic Boom officially in a relationship?"

"Yes," Sunburn said. "In fact, I think I might try to take the relationship further. That's why I came closer to you rather than being up there by her. I wanted to speak with you to see if you think that's the best idea."

"I think it would be amazing for the two of you to tie the knot," Stealth Elf said. "I would happily be involved with the lifemate ceremony."

"Thank you."

"Would you have Spyro as your best man?"

"Yeah, he seems to be the only one truly suitable for the job. I have other friends, but none of them are quite as great as him. And Cynder will almost certainly be Sonic Boom's. So, it would be a complete reversal of their lifemate ceremony."

"It would be a great honor to attend such a wondrous occasion," Hex said. The way she spoke these words in her usual deadpan style (which, even when being threatening, like with Slam Bam, always seemed to be present) almost made Sunburn chuckle, but he knew that would ruin the moment, so he restrained himself from doing so. "Do you know if there is a date secured for it, however?"

"That would be one of the problems, of course," he said. "The planning part won't be too difficult, but there's also the matter of finding the right moment to propose. You know what I'm saying?"

"Yes," Stealth Elf said. "I'll do my best to find the perfect time, just as Spyro was able to find his perfect moment for Cynder. Of course, I also felt it might have been a little too early, but then again, what do I know? I've never been the best at planning things of that sort. The only plans I have right now are those that have to do with taking down this Shadow Golem and avenging all those that died that night because of him and the Heretic Jewel."

After finishing, she looked over and found that Sunburn was looking at her with a little concern. "Uh…sorry."

"Don't be," he assured her. "You have reasons to be angry towards him, and I have no reason to stop that kind of anger from being released. If you ask me, what you're doing is completely right. Just make sure that vengeance doesn't consume you. I've never seen any friends of mine fall to that, and I hope to keep it that way."

"I'll do my best."

Sunburn nodded and smiled.

Then he looked forward and continued to think about Sonic Boom and just how he would propose to her. As he thought, he moved away from Hex and Stealth Elf and rejoined Sonic Boom at the front.

Spyro's mind was on Cynder at that moment, but as he continued to worry about keeping her warm, a flash of fire caught his eye.

He looked upward and saw it flash again. He wondered what the source of the fire was, and it had something to do with their current mission.

"What the heck is that?" he asked Bentley.

"That's where we're supposed to be going," Bentley said. "Which means that could be someone from the Outpost. We need to hurry." He looked back at Spyro, then looked to Cynder. "Do you think you would be able to fly over and see what's happening, and the rest of us will then come and find you there at the Outpost?"

"I don't know," Spyro said. He saw that Cynder was shivering worse, despite the heat being given off by himself and by Sonic Boom. "I don't know if Cynder will be able to handle that." He turned his attention to the love of his life. "Are you capable of that?"

"I-I'm n-n-not sure," she said. "B-but what I w-w-would l-like is t-to g-get out of this s-s-s-snow."

Spyro nodded, then turned his attention back to Bentley.

"I think we'll do that, just so we can find out exactly what's happening up there. If there's any trouble, then I'll come back. I'll see, of course, if I can't help Cynder get warm while that happens."

"Understood. Let's just hope it isn't something serious. The last time my home was in danger, I also had to deal with that Yeti my brother angered. Let's pray to God that never happens again, because I really, _really_ hated that challenge."

Spyro looked back to Cynder, who slowly moved out of his and Sonic Boom's embrace.

Her shivering increased as she opened her wings, but soon she was airborne, and she began flying towards the peak.

She realized as she flew that the peak looked almost like an altar one would find in a church, which she supposed was what gave the Realm its name.

Around her, there were also very many bare trees, and in the distance, she could see strange structures erected around another mountain. Having heard Spyro's stories of the Forgotten Realms, she realized that was where he had been during the main part of his adventures here.

"You doing okay?" Spyro called. She looked over and found that he was above five to seven feet away from her. Due to the cold, all she could do was nod. Spyro nodded back, a smile on his face.

Looking forward, Cynder focused on making it to the peak as fast as she possibly could.

When they did finally reach it, Cynder's shivering was steadily increasing, which she had not thought possible. Spyro soon landed near her.

"Hey," he said, holding her nearer to him. "Do you need me to make you a fire?"

"Th-that would b-b-be n-nice," she answered.

The sound of footsteps approached them, and both looked to the left to find a smaller version of Bentley.

"Bartholomew?" Spyro said.

"Oh, hey, Spyro!" the smaller Yeti said in a voice that, while higher and squeakier than Bentley's, was still very similar. "It's been quite some time! Who's that with you?"

"This is Cynder, my mate," Spyro said. "Were you the one that sent up the flash of fire?"

"Yep, and let's just say, I think I might have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle," Bartholomew continued. "I think Bentley is really going to hate me for what I've caused, but hey, it could be worse. Anyway, do you remember that Yeti that Bentley fought to protect me?"

"You didn't get into trouble with him, did you?" Spyro said in an exasperated way.

"Well, not exactly. But it would be better if you get Bentley to come over here before I tell you the rest of the story. I would like to tell it all to you now, but that wouldn't be the best idea without him here. Let's just hope he doesn't get angry at me again."

Spyro sighed. "Is it possible you could light a fire for Cynder while I go and tell your brother?" he asked. "She has an extreme aversion to cold, and it would be good if you could help her out."

"Yep! I can do that!" Bartholomew replied.

Spyro opened his wings and flew off, giving Cynder one last look before doing so. When he was gone, Cynder watched as Bartholomew quickly ran over to a pile of wood and brought some over to her.

"Are you able to help with the fire?" Bartholomew asked when he had arranged it for her. In response, Cynder breathed a bolt of Electricity onto it. When she had finished, the wood had become lit. The suddenness of this caused Bartholomew to jump. "Well, I guess you can."

"Let's just say," Cynder said a few moments later after feeling her body begin to warm up, "I really hate the cold."

"Oh, yeah, I get that," Bartholomew said. "Of course, I'm also a Yeti, and even though I can deal with it, there are times where I've wondered if I should move to another Realm, like Fireworks Factory." He paused for about a minute before resuming his incessant chatter. As she had dealt with those such as him before, Cynder did not find it the worst thing. "So, how exactly did Spyro and you become mates? I met him a while back, and he didn't seem so interested in love."

"Well, when we met, there was a different kind of circumstance," Cynder explained. "It happened about a year after he met all of you. He told me the stories of his previous adventures, including the Dragon Realms, Avalar, and here in the Forgotten Realms. I must say, I never thought I would get the chance to actually be here. It's not exactly how I pictured it would be from Spyro's explanations, but that's not to say it isn't good."

"Honestly, if you want to say how bad it is around here, I won't be offended. I've heard far worse from some of our visitors. There was this annoying bear that came about just before and during Spyro's first journey here, and he is definitely the worst of the worst."

"Moneybags?" As a result of Spyro's talk of his adventures, Cynder had definitely learned of the infamous bear that swindled many out of their gems and other collectibles, and she had hoped she would never be forced to meet someone as greedy as he. "Don't you mean 'was'? I mean, Spyro drove him out, didn't he?"

"I wish, but unfortunately, he's remained here in the Forgotten Realms, and it's one of the worst things. Bentley succeeded in getting him away from the Outpost, but that doesn't mean everything worked out the way it should." Bartholomew sighed. "The way things have happened are not the way we hoped they would go. The fact that Shadow Golem took over Charmed Ridge has made things so much more dangerous. If Moneybags is going to try to profit off this, then he'll become even worse than he already is. And to be honest, I have no idea how something like that is even remotely possible!"

"Why would he try to profit off this awful turn of events?" Cynder inquired. "That would be one of the worst things possible! To even try something like that would be career suicide, if you ask me! I still can't even imagine how you could think that's the best idea for your business, or however you would call it."

"It's Moneybags, so what would you expect?" Bartholomew said. "Even though you haven't met him, I'm sure Spyro gave you a good enough idea of just how bad he can be. Did he tell you how he flamed him good on the bum and got all his gems back?" The younger Yeti leaned back and laughed a little. "Oh, how I wish I could have seen that!"

Cynder smiled, too, though she did not find herself laughing. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was just that she was still recovering from the extreme cold she had experienced down below.

"Why exactly are you so cold, if you don't mind my asking?" Bartholomew said.

"I lost my body heat," Cynder said. "It would be a long story if I were to try to tell you the whole thing, and if I were to attempt it, then we'd still be here when they arrive, and their arrival would interrupt us. I don't want that to happen, so it's better if I don't try to explain it to you."

"I get that." Bartholomew nodded.

Despite him saying so, Cynder could tell there was a part of the younger Yeti that wanted to know. Interestingly enough, there was a part of her that wanted to tell him.

But she knew she couldn't. If she were to tell him, then there was the possibility he would inadvertently tell some of the other Skylanders, and she most certainly did not want that. She found her strength and warmth had mostly returned, and she could not help but be extremely grateful for this, not only to the fire, but also Bartholomew.

"You know, there is something that I'm able to tell about you just from your eyes," Bartholomew said after a few more minutes.

"What's that?" Cynder asked, though there was a great deal of apprehension within her.

"You're someone who, despite going through a lot, you've also been able to overcome a lot, and because of that, I think you and Spyro are made for each other."

The words heartened her greatly, and she smiled.

Meanwhile, Spyro was flying back to the other Skylanders and Bentley. When he reached them, they had been able to come farther, about two hundred feet from the cliff.

He landed in front of them and looked right at Bentley. "The signals came from Bartholomew. He said there was a Yeti who had gotten a group of snowmen together. According to what he said, this Yeti was the same one you took on here a while back."

"Not again!" Bentley growled. "Of course it had to be that condemned Yeti! That hairless freak is in need of a major beating!"

"I'm surprised he's still around, though," Spyro said. "I thought he would have returned to Colossus. But I guess all that matters now is that we get over there before anything bad can happen in your home."

"How can we get all the way up there, though?" Slam Bam demanded from somewhere behind Bentley. "That thing looks impossible to scale!"

"That's what I thought years ago, as well," Bentley said. "But some of the inhabitants of the Realm went into a cleft in the rock and created stairs that we can use to get up there. Let's just hope it doesn't take too long, because it is, admittedly, high."

"Well, that'll be annoying," Slam Bam said beneath his breath.

Spyro saw Bentley turn around and look for the source of Slam Bam's voice. When he found him, Bentley moved towards him. Spyro only accompanied him so that he could help him if Slam Bam tried something.

"What exactly are you?" Bentley asked.

"I'm a Yeti, like you," Slam Bam replied.

"You don't look like one," Bentley said.

"Yeah, I know," Slam Bam said. "The kind in Skylands are much different, as far as I know. I come from the Empire of Ice there. We don't have much fur, but we somehow remain warm while we're there."

"Hm, that's great," Bentley said. "Now, if you don't mind, please shut up. I already have had to deal with some of the worst people that have questioned me throughout my life, including the Yeti that we're going to have to deal with in my home. If you're not going to help us, then you as well stay out of our way! Understand?"

Slam Bam opened his mouth to say something as Bentley walked away, but Spyro glared at him until he finally shut his mouth. The amount of times Spyro had been forced to tell him off for the words he had spoken, not only towards Cynder, but also to others, were beginning to catch up, and Spyro was becoming exasperated by it.

Once they had finished there, Spyro and Bentley resumed their positions at the front of the Skylanders. Spyro turned back to them once they had done so. "We're going to that cleft, and once we get up there and find Cynder and Bartholomew, then we'll be ready to go to the Outpost. It shouldn't be too much longer before we find some time to rest."

When he turned back around, Spyro looked to Bentley, whose expression was very similar to Spyro's at that moment. From that, Spyro guessed he was thinking the exact same thing. In truth, Spyro had no idea when they would be able to rest next. He knew many of the Skylanders were exhausted, and some probably needed some kind of rest, but when there was so much happening, rest wasn't something they could always count on.

 _I realize I might have lied to them,_ he thought as they continued forward. _I realize that we can't afford to rest, especially when Zelophehad sits on the throne in Charmed Ridge! We need to get there and stop him before he ruins everything! Ami and Azrael have been good friends of mine for a while, and to learn Azrael suffered at the hands of Zelophehad just makes me want to take down the Shadow Golem even more! I know I shouldn't be thinking of vengeance, but I can't help it. Of course, if anyone deserves any kind of justice, it's definitely Stealth Elf. I'll make sure I can do all I can to deliver that to her._

It didn't take much longer after he had retreated from his thoughts for them to reach the face of the cliff. The cleft was there in front of them, and Bentley led the way into it. He had to squeeze due to his larger frame, and Spyro realized some of the Skylanders, including Slam Bam, would have to do the same thing, which meant there could be trouble. _But in the end, it'll be worth it,_ Spyro thought.

Once within the cleft, Spyro found that it was an easy fit for him. At the same time, as he watched others like Slam Bam and Bash try to get through, despite the fact they could, it was difficult.

On the other side, Spyro found Bentley waiting for them at the base of the stairs built into the mountain.

"Here we are," he said. "Now we can continue on our way without anymore trouble! Who's ready for this?"

Spyro heard Sonic Boom say from behind him, "This is going to be real killer on my paws."

Looking at the steps and the sheer number of the grey slabs that went all the way up, Spyro could not help but agree. All of them looked to be very steep, and he had to swallow and focus on all the good that would come out of the ascent.

He would open his wings and fly up, but he felt it would not be good to leave everyone else behind. While he had left them at one point to help Cynder, that had been for a far more different reason. Almost every other Skylander was able to deal with cold temperatures unlike her, and Spyro realized that if he had not gone and helped her like that, then she might have frozen right there by his side.

Now, as he looked up the steps, he wished he had been able to rest more before the Skylanders had begun their true journey through the Forgotten Realms.

Before Bentley took the first step, Spyro said to him, "Is it possible I can take a moment or two to catch my breath?"

"Of course," Bentley said. "The long trek has gotten to you, I'm guessing."

Spyro nodded. It technically wasn't a lie, but of course, there was some guilt within him.

When Spyro was finished, he nodded at Bentley, who took the first step. This was followed by the second, and then by the third. Then a rapid ascent followed. Spyro prepared himself to do the same, though he was not sure what shape or condition he would be in by the time he had finished. All the same, it was for a good cause.

He took his first step onto the stone, then the second, and then the third. While the rest of his ascent was not as fast as Bentley's, it was still well-paced. He was not too far behind his old friend, with Bentley only about ten feet ahead of him. Looking behind himself, Spyro saw Sunburn and Sonic Boom were around the same from him.

"How are things going?" Sunburn asked Sonic Boom. His mind was still on the idea of proposing to her, especially what the right time would be. He had an idea, but it would not be taking place here in the Forgotten Realms.

"Good, but I wish they were going better," Sonic Boom said. "I hope things will be over soon. That's not to say that I want to rush this rescue we're attempting, but the more I hear about him, the more that I want to help take down this Shadow Golem."

"You're not alone in that," Sunburn said. "The quicker, the better. And when you do things quicker, then we won't have to worry about as many casualties. We just need to make sure that going quicker does not cause us to lose focus on the things that truly matter."

"I agree there."

Sonic Boom did not say much more than that, and Sunburn felt a little disappointed. He had hoped she would mention something about how much she loved him. _Then again, there is the possibility that I'm rushing things,_ he thought. _I nearly destroyed my own advice with my thoughts. Once again, while being quicker is better, it is better to be quick while not losing the idea or ideas of what matters most._

It was about another fifteen to twenty minutes before they finally reached the top. Once there, Spyro felt his legs were wobbling. He concentrated, and after allowing some of his energy there, the wobble was gone.

He looked up, having looked at his feet and the steps throughout most of the ascent, and found Cynder lying in front of the fire, with Bartholomew near her.

"So, you got into trouble with that Yeti again, did you?" Bentley said. "Oh, Barth, how could you—"

"Well, it's not exactly as you think, big bro!" Bartholomew said. "You'll need to see for yourself before you can say anything about it to me, okay? Just hear me out, and all will be fine once you do. Got it?" Bentley sighed, but he nodded. "Okay, well, I can't tell your what's going on here, because I'm not sure who else is listening." Bartholomew looked to Spyro. "Oh, yeah, Cynder's great, bro. I made sure to keep her company and help her. And by the way, hello, everyone!"

His energy, Spyro noticed, was something many of the Skylanders, exhausted from their long trek in the snow and the ascent to the top of the mountain, did not make many of them feel better.

"All right, then, Bartholomew, it's better if you quit talking," Bentley said. "Not all of us are in the best shape or moods to have to deal with you. I can deal with you, that's for sure, but when others are forced through that torture—sorry, I mean reward—then it's like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. So, are we ready to get out of here, and then go home?"

"Hey, Bentley, is it possible I can talk with you real quick?" Spyro asked.

"Of course," Bentley said. "Let's go ahead!"

Spyro motioned to Cynder that she needed to be with them when he spoke with Bentley, and she got up from the fire and walked over to where Spyro stood with Bentley a little bit away from the others.

"I wouldn't be surprised if some of the others can still hear us over here, but that's not really a problem right now," Spyro said. "Look, what we need more than anything is a way to take down whatever forces might be in the Outpost as quickly as possible. I'm not saying I don't want to be there, but I would prefer to get to Charmed Ridge as fast as we possibly can. There isn't much time for us to wait, wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course," Bentley whispered in the best way he could. It wasn't technically a whisper, being more of a lower version of his real voice, but Spyro supposed it worked. "I was really praying we wouldn't have to deal with too much in my Realm, either, but it seems Bartholomew has made things a little bit harder on us." He looked to Cynder. "By the way, how did things go with you and him when you were up here?"

"Good, but that's not really as important in this conversation," she said.

"No, it's not. Sorry about that."

"If we can just go in," Spyro continued, acting as though he hadn't heard the last part of Bentley's monologue or the response Cynder had given it, "and take down those that are there without your permission, and then move on, I think we should be good. I would love to rest, but that seems almost like a fantasy now. I can't even remember the last time we were able to rest."

"I get that," Bentley said. "I'd love to give you rest, but I don't think that's the best idea, especially in this situation. But do you think you'll be able to take on all this mess even without sleep?"

"I think we can," Spyro said, "but it can't just be us. We're going to need some help from some other friends, if you know what I mean."

"I get you." Bentley nodded just to add an extra layer to his understanding, as Spyro understood it. "After this business in the Outpost is done, I'll send Bartholomew to find the others. Will it just be them?"

"Them, and any other forces that they can get to come together," Spyro said.

"That would be a great number of people. At the same time, I hope it will be enough against Zelophehad," Cynder said. "From what we've been told by Stealth Elf, as well as the fact he possesses the Heretic Jewel, worries me quite a bit."

"It worries me, too," Spyro admitted, though a part of him did not want to admit that to even her. "But I think it'll be enough. I think, in the end, we just need to have faith."

The both of them nodded.

"Okay," Spyro then said after about a minute had passed. "It's time that we get moving. Where's the next portal, exactly?"

"In another cleft, right over there," Bentley said. "You should see it. It's there in the back, to the left."

Spyro followed Bentley's instructions, and once he saw the cleft, he saw there was something very different about that spot.

"Looks like it's the place," he said.

"Yeah, had to squeeze out just to get here," Bartholomew said, hopping over. "Is it time?"

"Yes."

Spyro turned to everyone else.

"We're going through this portal, which will take us to the Outpost. That is where Bentley lives, and that is where we will find what is most likely the penultimate portal. It will not be long after that for us to get to Charmed Ridge. At the same time, we're going to need to hurry. So, I need some help to get this rock out of the way so we can go through this cleft and end up in the Outpost."

It was Bentley and Slam Bam that came to his aid. When the rock was out of the way, Spyro looked into the cleft, which was now in full view.

Staring at it, he saw there were parts of it that were sparkling.

He swallowed, then looked to Bentley. The Yeti nodded at him.

He looked to Cynder who did the same, but the one thing she added that Bentley had not was a smile.

Spyro looked again at the cleft, and then hurled himself into it.


	12. The Outpost

**Chapter Eleven:**

 **The Outpost**

He found it to be very similar to the experiences from before, and so this time, he was not at all surprised by how it felt. In fact, it was not until he ended up on the other side that he had any kind of sickening feeling.

He hit the ground quite hard as he appeared on the other side, with his head almost hitting at the same time.

However, his forepaws prevented that from occurring, which he was thankful for.

It did not take too long for his sick feeling to dissipate, and when it did, he found an area around him that, while he had visited it before, had never been around long enough to truly appreciate it.

When he looked around, he felt a great deal of nostalgia hit him. While he had not actually experienced any of the missions that Bentley undertook here while they were battling against the Sorceress, which Bentley had instead done since it was his home, he had come here a few times after defeating her for the second and final time.

They'd had a few parties to celebrate in different locations, including here and in the Fireworks Factory, which Spyro knew was next up on their list of locations they had to travel through in order to get to Charmed Ridge.

The landscape around him was covered in snow, but there were patches of green grass, surprisingly. Rocks were also littered all around, as were several strange boxes that Spyro still didn't know the use for. All Bentley had told him about them was that he had felt stronger after pushing one of them off a cliff. The sky ahead of him was a pinkish-purple color with a few stars in view, although the moon had yet to make an appearance, making it look like dusk had settled over the Outpost.

There was a village whose lights were twinkling in the distance. Spyro felt drawn to it, as though he felt that was where they were going to have to go in order to get through all of this.

He heard a whooshing sound, followed by heavy footsteps. He looked over and found Bentley coming towards him, with Cynder and Bartholomew right behind him. The other Skylanders were beginning to make their way through the portal.

"Well, here we are," Bentley said. "This is my home. I hope you like it. It's not much, but…well, it's home."

"It's beautiful," Cynder said.

"Thank you very much," Bentley said. "I've tried to keep it in tip-top shape, but to be honest, I haven't been home in about a week."

"Why?" Spyro asked.

"I've been in the Fireworks Factory, helping Agent 9 against this Shadow Golem's forces," Bentley explained. "I was forced to leave when it was revealed they would soon be tracking use of the portals. Of course, going through the portals in each Realm to get to another, other than using those in the Homeworld, help us to minimize the risk. Us going through the portal to Frozen Altars wasn't the best idea, but we had no other choice. However, we shouldn't be in any major danger."

"Good to hear," Sunburn said from behind him.

"So, is that a village over there?" Sonic Boom asked, pointing ahead to the twinkling lights.

"Yes, it is," Bentley replied. "We'll likely have to go over there soon, but due to other things—"

Spyro saw Bentley stop talking and peer into the distance. He wondered what he could possibly be looking at, but then Spyro turned around and saw a figure on top of one of the cliffs.

"What is that?" Sonic Boom said.

"I don't know," Bentley replied. "But it might have to do with the Yetis Bartholomew mentioned." Spyro saw him look around until he found his brother. "Is that one of them, do you think?"

Bartholomew peered into the distance. "It definitely fits their figure," he said. "I just hope they're not looking for trouble yet."

"If they are, then we'll be ready for them," Sunburn said. "We've dealt with a lot worse during our career as Skylanders, and a couple of Yetis won't be a problem whatsoever."

"That's what you'd like to think," Spyro heard Slam Bam say under his breath just a little behind them.

"We need to know how all of this happened in the first place, Bartholomew," Spyro told the younger Yeti. "Why are there more Yetis here? Why in the heck would they want to come to the Outpost and cause more trouble?"

"You'd better answer," Bentley growled.

"All right, all right," Bartholomew said. "I think they never left the Forgotten Realms. After you beat him, big bro, he and his other friends remained around here, although I think I heard they lived in Icy Peak for a time. Either way, he's now come here, and I have no idea what it is he wants. I don't want to try and get into with him, because of what happened last time, though. And I'm sure you remember what happened last time."

Bentley nodded, and Spyro, having at least heard about what had happened the last time (with Bartholomew having supposedly lost his ball to the creature, only for him to remember he had lent his ball to a friend, meaning Bentley had boxed the creature from Avalar for nothing).

"Where did this Yeti come from again?" Sonic Boom asked. "Alvar?"

"Avalar," Spyro said. "The fact he's here now is a bit unsettling. He should have returned to Avalar."

"Yeah, well, you remember those guys he had with him, whom you called the Sasquatch Six, or something like that?" Bartholomew said. "They're here with him."

"You mean to say that we've been…overrun?" Bentley demanded. "Oh, Bartholomew, how could you have let this happen? How is any of this possible?"

"I wasn't trying to! You know how things can be completely weird! With all that's happening in Charmed Ridge and everything, I don't know what else you want me to do! I've kept up on all our other threats, so don't get onto me for something that I can't really control! Not to mention, you weren't here when they arrived, so I couldn't really help it when it came to letting them into the Realm, you know what I mean? You were off, helping that annoying monkey!"

"Agent 9's a very good friend of ours, so don't you dare speak of him like that!" Bentley ordered his younger brother. "Anyway, now that this has happened, it looks as though we're going to have to come up with some kind of plan." He turned to Spyro. "I really don't want to ask your help for this, since you already have a lot to be going through, but is it possible that you could help me and Bartholomew to find take down these meddlesome Yeti?"

Spyro looked around at the Skylanders and saw that several of them weren't really looking as though they wanted to go through a mission that preceded one where they would have to take on an entire army, but Spyro was not sure what else he could do. He had known Bentley for a few years now, and he trusted him wholeheartedly.

He looked over to Cynder to help him in forming a decision. She nodded at him, which he took to mean that he should go ahead and get this over with so they could continue.

"All right," Spyro said. "We'll do it. I know this might be taking a little bit out of our main plan, but if you ask me, this is all worth it."

Bentley smiled brightly at this. "Thank you, Spyro. Once again, you've become the voice of reason, and I could not thank you more!"

When Spyro turned to the other Skylanders, he saw they were staring at him with shock, as though they were wondering why he would have made such a decision. "We have to stop this," he announced. "For all I know, Zelophehad has caused this, and if we don't ensure that these Yeti aren't stopped, and if they are serving him, then that will create another major problem for all of us when it comes to finally fighting and destroying this Shadow Golem."

It looked like many of the Skylanders did not agree with his logic, but Spyro knew it was never easy to win them to his side. In truth, he didn't think he would ever be able to win them all to his side. They all had very differing ideas, and to try and force them all to trust him through and through without any apprehension whatsoever was not the very best idea. That would stop him from being able to surprise them.

"I'm not sure if I want to go through with an idea like this," Camo said under his breath to Whirlwind.

"Nor do I," she said. "But I don't think it's as weird as it could be. While I may not trust Spyro completely, I think he's onto something. If these things really are serving Zelophehad, then it's better if we stop them from destroying any of the other Realms."

"You really think that?" Slam Bam said. "After all, Spyro is the one who married Cynder. I mean, really, how delusional can you possibly be?"

"Maybe he sees something in her that we don't," Whirlwind said. "You know what they say, never judge a book by its cover."

Slam Bam growled a little at this, but he did not say anything more.

He looked around him and saw Trigger Happy was not very far away from him. Slam Bam didn't want him to hear anything bad he said about Cynder, as it could lead to another coin in the wrong place.

"So, we're doing yet another mission besides the one we've already concerned ourselves with?" Sunburn asked Spyro.

"It looks like it," Cynder said with a sigh. "I mean, it could be worse."

"True, but it could also be better," Bentley said. "I hope this doesn't take too much time out of helping the inhabitants of Charmed Ridge."

"You and me both," Spyro said. He then turned back to the Skylanders.

"We're going to have to split up," Spyro said. "Cynder and I will be going with Bentley. Sunburn, Sonic Boom, go with Bartholomew. Whirlwind, go with Camo. Flashwing, go with Drobot. Just go around and see if you can find these Yetis that have been causing trouble here in the Outpost. Once that's done, then we can continue and get to the Fireworks Factory, and then to Charmed Ridge, where we can finish it."

There were a few small cheers from some of the surrounding Skylanders. Spyro could not help but smile at this. He looked to Cynder, who saw him smiling just as well. There was a sparkle in her eyes, and as he looked into them, Spyro was entranced by the beauty of her sapphire irises.

"Let's go," Cynder said, and she turned around.

Just as she began walking, Spyro realized the air around them was cold. While it was not as cold as that in the Frozen Altars, it was cold nonetheless. He looked to her and saw her shiver.

"Sorry, Cyn," he said as he ran to her and draped a wing around her. "I should have been more ready for this. I didn't want you to feel cold again."

"It's n-not your f-fault," she said with a smile. "I guess I was a bit too ready t-to g-g-go. I just wish I d-didn't have to d-deal with th-this."

"So do I," Spyro said. "I wish you could be standing here, warm without any help whatsoever. That's one of the many reasons I hate Malefor."

She nuzzled his neck and felt warmth spread through her body. "Don't keep your mind on that," she said. "It's not going to help during this mission. We have to find these other Yetis and stop them for good. Then, we need to go and finish off this Shadow Golem and allow Stealth Elf to avenge her family."

Spyro nodded and smiled. Bentley came forward and led the way.

"The first place we should go, most likely, is my own home," he said. "I remember I once had an infestation of about three or four bears in there one winter. Let me tell you, they weren't the friendly kind—or smart, for that matter."

"Bears?" Cynder said. "They weren't able to talk?"

"No, for some reason," Bentley said. "But that's one of the reasons the Forgotten Realms are so strange. There are creatures that can walk and talk and dance and all that, but then there are those who seem as though they have forgotten how to do any of it."

"Bartholomew did tell me of one bear," Cynder said. "How he gave you guys a great deal of trouble during that one mission here."

"Moneybags," Spyro said. "Why did Bartholomew mention him?"

"He said he was still around here, and that he was doing something," Cynder explained. "Let me think about what he said…Ah. He said he's trying to profit off some of the events that have been happening ever since Zelophehad came about. According to Bartholomew, he's in Charmed Ridge."

"Great," Spyro said. "I was hoping to never have to deal with him again, but if that's not going to happen, then so be it. We'll have to find him and stop him soon, or else he could con the wrong person, and all the Forgotten Realms could descend into even greater chaos than they're in already—as if that's even possible."

"I can't stand that bear one bit," Bentley said. "If I come across him, I am definitely going to hurt him." Cynder looked over and saw him smacking his ice club into his hands a few times.

"I guess I'm fortunate that I haven't had the misfortune of meeting him, then," she said.

"That you are," Spyro agreed.

They moved on for another few minutes, soon reaching a group of steps. As they ascended, they heard a loud roar from just above. Spyro looked to Bentley, who nodded. "That was a Yeti, no doubt," he said. "We definitely aren't far. If that monster has touched anything inside my house or broken it, then he is going to pay!"

They ran up the steps as fast as they could. Cynder was happy she didn't have a broken leg like during their last mission, as she believed it would impede their progress in some way if that were the case.

Once at the top, she found Bentley's house, which was large and round in shape, made of a beige stone and topped with a red roof.

The front door had been torn off its hinges, and there were claw marks across one area of the stone near where the front had once been.

Obviously, they were going in the right direction.

"Be very careful," Bentley said. "I don't want either of you injured."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about us," Cynder said. Spyro nudged her and she looked to him. "What?"

"Try not to say things like that to Bentley," he told her. "His main concern is to help his allies, and he takes it very seriously. To tell him not to worry is like telling him that friends don't matter."

Cynder was confused by this, but she did not say another word about it, instead opting to move into the house.

Once inside, they heard the growls and roars from before. The Yeti was in one of these rooms, and all they had to do now was find them and take them down. Cynder hoped it wouldn't be long, for despite Spyro helping her to stay warm, there was still some cold seeping through, and she wanted nothing more than to go somewhere that was nice and hot. She remembered he had spoken of the Fireworks Factory being their next stop, and she couldn't wait to get there.

Not only that, but she wanted to get to Charmed Ridge and stop Zelophehad for good.

"Have you come to end me?" a voice said to them from within one of the rooms.

"We have," Bentley said. "You might as well show yourself, because I have two Dragons here that aren't afraid to show their powers to you!"

"Dragons? How delightful! I was hoping we would be able to cross paths one day, Dragons. I assume one of you is he who is called Spyro, as I have heard many things of you, both good and bad. However, I cannot identify the other, as I do not remember you ever having another Dragon with you, besides the hatchlings."

"That's because I brought my team this time," Spyro said. "I brought the Skylanders to the Forgotten Realms so that we might find Zelophehad and put an end to him. He has tried to take over these worlds, and I do not want to see the inhabitants suffer. Once we're done here, we're going to Fireworks Factory and then to Charmed Ridge, where we will take on Zelophehad and let one of our own avenge her family."

"Beautiful words," the Yeti said. "I have not heard such beautiful things in a very long time, and I would love to hear more. But I'm afraid I am on a tight schedule."

The Yeti jumped out of the room in which it had been hiding, revealing a large, hairless creature with yellow eyes and sharp claws on each hand and foot. He growled at the three of them.

But when he saw Cynder, he suddenly yelped in surprise. "What is _she_ doing here?" he nearly screamed. "I thought you were dead!"

"What?" Cynder said. She thought about the Yeti's words and realized what he was thinking. He recognized her as the Terror of the Skies somehow. "How do you know who I am?"

"Because I saw a depiction of you, destroying homes and towns and people with your power!" they replied. "How can you be here?!"

"She's not evil anymore," Spyro snarled. "She's my mate, and if you try to harm her, then you're going to have to answer to me!"

"If she is going to be part of this, then I do not know how I can possibly fight against you," the Yeti said. "Just let me leave, please!"

"I find it interesting you're so scared of me," Cynder said. Spyro noticed that, despite the Yeti's words, she was still in her fierce mood. "Are you more scared of me than Zelophehad?" The Yeti nodded. "Why? What did I do that would make you fear me far more than even that Shadow Golem?"

"I heard of your many victories, about how you have killed so many. I did not know you would be here, and while it is true that I am afraid of Zelophehad, you are the one who is here, not he."

Cynder nodded.

So it wasn't that the Yeti was more scared of her just because of who she was, but more because she happened to be in his presence. She believed she could use that to their advantage.

"If this is the case, then I need to know something," she said. "I need you to tell me why you and all these other Yetis are here in the Outpost, tearing up Bentley's home for no real reason. What has he done to deserve this?"

"Honestly, nothing. But all the same, we needed somewhere we could hide. We do not know what is coming, but we do know that Zelophehad is going to try and take over all the Realms—not just the Forgotten. Once he finds it, he will use the Heretic Jewel to destroy everything we all care most about."

Spyro thought this over, all while being extremely proud of Cynder in stepping up and getting the vital information from the Yeti. So, Zelophehad hadn't yet found the Heretic Jewel, but he had a guess that it wouldn't be long, meaning they would have to hurry.

"Well, thank you for the information," Spyro said. "You know, you and the rest of the Yetis could join us, if you so wished."

"I would, but I don't know if I would be able to do as such with the others. They are not like me, and I am not even the leader of the group. The one you are more than likely searching for is the Yeti you first faced in Colossus. He looks different from before, however, so you might not recognize him."

"Okay," Spyro said. "Thank you."

"And on that note…" Bentley pointed at the front of the house. "Get out of my home, and don't you or any of the others ever come back!"

The hairless Yeti nodded and ran away from them, leaving all three to ponder what they had heard.

"So, there's still their leader," Cynder said. "Grand."

"I have no idea who is going to take him on, but we should hurry over to see if we can help." Spyro looked to Cynder and kissed her cheek. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," she said. "Now, let's do what you were saying so that I don't freeze to death while standing here."

Spyro nodded with a small smile.

"Of course," he said.

The three of them turned and exited Bentley's home, hoping to get to the other Skylanders before something bad happened.

* * *

Sunburn and Sonic Boom, meanwhile, were with Bartholomew, who was planning to bring them to a small area with grass and several large boxes that had been placed there by the Sorceress when Spyro had last come here. He explained that they actually gave the area a good look, and that they didn't see any issues whatsoever with leaving them.

"Focusing on this mission isn't as easy as some of the others," Sunburn said.

"Why not?" Sonic Boom asked.

"Because of the one thing I want to get back to the Ruins and do," he said. "After all, we've already finished the first stage."

Sonic Boom's emerald eyes widened. "Oh, right! I didn't forget, but my mind has been on all of this, so I didn't remember it the best, either."

Sunburn laughed a little. "I get that," he said. "I just hope nothing goes wrong by the end of this. I want everyone to be safe, and I don't want Cynder to have to worry about another event like when she was beaten by Deathmatch."

"I hated him for what he did to her that night. I thought Spyro was going to kill him right then and there for that. Of course, they did, but not then. I felt so bad for her when Deathmatch made it seem like she had given up information. Just seeing her in pain hurts me so much."

"I know. I hope we never have to see something like that again. I don't think I would be able to take it."

"Were you two planning something beforehand?" Bartholomew asked. "Before you got into that other awful stuff?"

"Yes," Sunburn said, a little perturbed by how Bartholomew had just blown past their worries for Cynder and gone back to the first part of their conversation. "I proposed to Sonic Boom, and when we return to Skylands, we're planning to get married. I mean, it's still in its early stages, but we have a feeling it'll all go off without a hitch."

"Wow, that's completely awesome! I would love to come!" Bartholomew exclaimed.

Sunburn and Sonic Boom looked at each other, both possessing exasperated looks. While Bartholomew did not seem like a bad person, he was definitely more than a little annoying. They could see why Bentley had been more than a little hard on him when they had arrived at the Outpost.

"I think we're almost there," Bartholomew announced a few minutes later as they reached an area where most of the snow had been cleared away, leaving behind only a large, grassy area.

"Halt!" a voice commanded not too far from them. "Who are you, and what is it that you are doing here? We do not take kindly to strangers!"

"I'm not a stranger!" Bartholomew retorted. "I mean, they are—" he pointed at Sunburn and Sonic Boom "—but I'm definitely not! I live here with my brother Bentley! At least allow me through!"

"No!" the voice replied. "You will not go anywhere until you prove to us that you are not under the service of the Shadow Golem they call Zelophehad!"

"Wait," Sunburn said. "You have a hatred for Zelophehad?"

"Yes," the hidden voice said. "Why's it matter to you?"

"Because we're here to stop him," Sunburn answered. "We're the Skylanders, and because of what we've heard about the Shadow Golem—and the fact we have an ally who lost her kingdom to him at one time—we have come to put an end to him."

There were heavy footsteps from somewhere around them, and soon, from behind one of the boxes in the grassy area, came a hairless creature that Sunburn could only guess was a Yeti. However, he was not sure why the creature would have no hair.

"You have a hatred for this creature, and you want it destroyed like us?" the Yeti asked. "Is it only because of this friend of yours, or is there another reason?"

"We want to save all our worlds, especially Skylands," Sonic Boom said. "We came here to help friends of our leader's. I believe you might have heard of him: Spyro the Dragon."

The Yeti's black eyes became wide. "You know, we do know who he is. He's a good fighter, and while he did defeat our leader at one point, we believe he is a friend and ally of ours. So, he has come to the Forgotten Realms to help us?"

"Yes," Sunburn said. "We've been trying to get to Fireworks Factory, and then Charmed Ridge, by going around the many portals, since we know the main ones are being watched. We don't want to alert Zelophehad or anyone else to our presence."

"I see," the Yeti said. "Well, we can help you get rid of him and whoever else might be helping. There are some things I'm still confused about, however, when it comes to you."

"What is that?"

"What kind of a creature are you? You look like a Dragon and a Phoenix combined into one."

"That's exactly what I am," Sunburn said. "I am a Dragon-Phoenix Hybrid, and while I have no idea how that's possible, it's true."

The Yeti nodded. "Well, it's good to have you on our side, then." He looked around and then called out, "Hey, Gerald, it's okay! We have allies around us! Come out and introduce yourself." Then he looked back to Sunburn and Sonic Boom. "I see you're a Griffiness, and I am flattered to finally be in the presence of one."

"Thank you," Sonic Boom said.

"Now, where are the rest of your friends?"

"Around here somewhere. We're with Bartholomew, while Spyro and Cynder are with Bentley, his brother. The others are trying to find the rest of your kin," Sunburn explained.

"Good. That shouldn't take too long. They're not hard to find, after all."

* * *

Drobot and Flashwing had found an icy cave near where they'd last seen Spyro and Cynder with the former's once-friend. They'd heard some sounds emanating from it as they approached, and now they were going to find out what those sounds were.

"I don't get it," Flashwing said.

"Get what?" Drobot asked.

"How Spyro sees anything good in Cynder," she said.

"I don't know, either, but obviously he sees something, and I'm not going to try to stop him from seeing whatever good he's found in her," Drobot said. "They seem to be made for each other. Not to mention, despite my dislike of her, I've noticed Spyro is a competent leader. I won't question most of his choices, and whom he sees as his love is one of those."

Flashwing sighed. "Yeah, I get that."

They entered the icy cave and tried to remain as silent as possible because of the fact there was a Yeti in here. While Slam Bam was an ally of theirs, they had learned to trust him.

But these Yetis did not sound as though they could be friendly.

"There's a part of me that wishes I could find someone to love like he did," Flashwing whispered as they walked through the cave. "Even if I don't support who he loves, that doesn't mean I'm not jealous of him for actually finding someone."

"Silence," Drobot commanded. "No offense, but I can hear something, and I know it's not us. We need to be quiet and ensure we don't reveal ourselves to this creature. They might want to kill us."

Moving forward, the two of them found a large rock, which they hid behind. Almost as soon as they had, they heard snarling noises just ahead of them.

Peering around the rock, Flashwing saw the hairless creature she could only assume was one of the Yetis standing on a large rock platform in the middle of a cavern just ahead of them.

"There's one," she said.

"Good," Drobot said. "Now we can take it down."

Without warning, Drobot jumped out from behind the rock and prepared himself to attack the creature. When it saw him, it screamed, catching him off-guard. He believed it to be a tactic to catch him off-guard, as well, and so he prepared to continue his attack.

Then it spoke.

"Please, don't hurt me!" the Yeti protested. "I am not your enemy! I didn't mean to cause that avalanche last week! I'm innocent!"

"You're one of the Yetis we've heard about that have caused a great deal of trouble around here," Drobot said. "I don't have to show you mercy at all!"

"Wait, who told you that?" the Yeti asked.

"One who calls himself Bartholomew," Drobot said.

"Ah, that little fool," the Yeti sighed. "I know who he is. His heart's in the right place, but there are a lot of times where he doesn't begin to understand exactly what's going on. We're not here to cause any trouble."

"Really?" Flashwing said as she appeared from behind the boulder. "How do we know you're not lying? Just know, if you are lying, I can send a crystal shard into you. You'll be dead before you hit the floor!"

"Be still, my heart," the Yeti said. "A Dragoness. And a beautiful one, at that. Plus, you look as though you are made of gems, which is an added bonus!"

"That's because I am."

The Yeti stared for a moment, then continued. "We haven't been trying to overrun the Outpost. There are those of us who want to battle the Shadow Golem that has caused so much trouble, and those of us whom you might consider cowards."

"So you know of this Zelophehad creature, then," Flashwing said.

"Those of us who live in the Forgotten Realms know all about him," the Yeti explained. "There are even rumors that he has found this thing known as the Heretic Jewel, which is rumored to have been hidden in the royal family's vault in their castle in Charmed Ridge."

Flashwing was now in shock. "He's found it?!" she nearly screamed.

"That's what's been said," the Yeti responded. "But we have no idea if that's the truth or not."

Drobot placed a paw on Flashwing's left shoulder and led her away from the Yeti.

"Do you really think he's telling the truth?" he asked.

"I don't know," Flashwing admitted. "He thinks it's just a rumor, and that's what I'm hoping, too. But there is a part of me that wants to take it seriously."

"I know, me too." Drobot thought it over. "We're going to take him with us as we get back to Spyro. He'll want to hear this."

"Good idea."

They looked back to the Yeti before them, and Drobot relayed the idea.

"Okay, that sounds good." The Yeti just sighed. "Let's just pray those rumors are wrong."

* * *

Camo and Whirlwind had reached a small hill, where they hoped to find one of the Yetis, defeat them, and then be on their way to Charmed Ridge. Once this over, everything would be as it needed to be.

"I wonder why we've had to take so many detours," Camo said. "Doesn't Spyro understand how important all of this is? According to what we've heard, this monster could destroy us all!"

"Maybe he just needs to prove himself to this Yeti friend of his. We definitely need allies in this coming battle," Whirlwind suggested.

"Okay, you've got a point," Camo said. He looked at her with a small smile. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes are? They're the perfect shade of blue, in my opinion."

Whirlwind smiled back. "Thank you. Believe it or not, though, this shade of blue isn't my favorite," she said.

"Really? What is?"

"Sapphire."

"I will admit that is a beautiful color. I can think of only one Skylander with that eye color," Camo said.

"I can think of two."

"Really? Who do you think of? I can only think of Flashwing. Who else is on your mind?"

"Cynder."

Camo thought about it and found himself surprised. "You're right." He thought a little more and found another question on his mind. He hesitated to ask it, however. But he decided he had no other choice. "What do you really think about Cynder?"

"I don't know," Whirlwind said. She sighed. "I do have a memory that I'm not proud of. You remember that day we went down to the Underworld and I was injured? Well, she came to see me a few days later when I was released, and I treated her horribly. I pretty much told her off, and then I told Slam Bam what had happened. I heard he really hurt her with his words."

"What did you do after that?"

"I just dealt with it. But over time, I've understood that she and I aren't so different. She's weird, I can admit that, but I don't think there's much wrong with her. I remember that night when the Dark Elf captured us, he told us she had given information about the Skylanders away. Something seemed really off about that, because I don't think Eon would have told her enough for that to have worked. So, I think he actually lied, and we hated her for it. I knew something else was wrong when I saw that he had beaten her. The blood on her face was a sight I couldn't bear to look at. The truth is, I don't know how I really feel about her, but I know she doesn't deserve all the hate she gets, especially with how Slam Bam has acted towards her."

Camo nodded. "I can understand that," he said.

Before they could speak again, there was the sound of crunching snow. They looked around for the source before realizing it had to be above them.

Whirlwind looked to Camo. "Get on my back," she said. "I'll fly us up there as quick as I can, and we might be able to take this Yeti down."

Camo nodded and did as she had said. Opening her wings, Whirlwind whizzed up to the top of the hill and landed hard.

When Camo had jumped off, Whirlwind looked around to see what she could find. Looking down, there were footprints in the snow. She looked forward and saw a hairless creature running just ahead of them.

"STOP!" Whirlwind shouted. She opened her wings again and flew after the Yeti.

She hit them with an arc of rainbow-colored energy, which caused them to hit the ground. She jumped onto their chest and snarled at them.

"Hey, I didn't do anything!" the Yeti protested. "I'm here to get away from the apocalypse that is about to come! I'm innocent!"

"What apocalypse?" Camo demanded as he finally caught up.

"The one we are all about to experience," the Yeti answered. "Haven't you heard the rumors?" Whirlwind and Camo looked at each other with confused expressions, then looked back to the hairless creature. "I heard the Shadow Golem in Charmed Ridge has finally found the Heretic Jewel, and he is about to destroy the Realms."

"No!" Whirlwind shouted. She regained her composure, but at the same time, she believed it was a perfectly common response, given the possible circumstances. Even if they were just rumors, she needed to know the truth. She looked the Yeti in his brown eyes. "Why are you running, then? You should be fighting against the Shadow Golem! Help the Forgotten Realms!"

"I can't risk that!" the Yeti screamed. "I'll die!"

"Well, if you don't stand for crap, then you're nothing more than crap!" Whirlwind snapped. "You had better buck up and get moving with us, because we're going back to our leader, and when we return, we're on our way to the Fireworks Factory, and then to Charmed Ridge, where we'll end this. So, you can either stand with us, or you can continue to be a coward. What's it going to be?"

* * *

Back where the Skylanders had arrived in the Outpost, the main groups (with the exception of Whirlwind and Camo) regrouped with the other Yetis and waited for everyone else to come to them.

"You found two?" Cynder asked Sonic Boom. "Wow. Great job!"

"Thanks," Sonic Boom said.

"Well, what made it easier is the fact we're brothers," one of them said. "Name's Gerald, by the way. I recognize the Purple Dragon, but I don't recognize you."

"Surprising," Cynder said beneath her breath. Then she cleared her throat. "I'm Cynder. There's a part of me that's surprised you don't know who I am, since one of your own did."

"Weird," Gerald said.

"Hey, I guess I just know things," the Yeti she and Spyro had found said.

Soon enough, most of the other Skylanders started appearing, and Whirlwind, Camo, and another Yeti were among them. Seeing this, Spyro realized there was just one Yeti that remained, unless one of the others had found him.

"The main one isn't among them," Bentley whispered to Spyro. "I have no idea where he is."

"Probably waiting for us somewhere," Spyro said.

When everyone was together, Spyro said, "Okay, time to address everyone." He looked to Sonic Boom and Sunburn. "Keep Cynder warm, okay?"

Before he left his mate's side, both of them got closer to Cynder, and as he made his way to the front, he saw them drape their wings over her.

"Well," he said, "it looks like we've nearly succeeded. Out of the six members of the Yetis from Avalar, we have found five of them. I don't know where the sixth one is, but I'm sure we'll find him on our way to the Fireworks Factory."

"Or maybe," a voice said from behind him, and Spyro saw Cynder's eyes become wide, "I'm right here behind you."

Whirling around, Spyro found the sixth of the Yetis. But instead of the hairless look the other five had, he had somehow gained white fur. His yellow eyes remained the same, though, and they reminded Spyro somewhat of Malefor's eyes.

"It's been a while," the leader of the Yetis said. "When I heard you were here, I couldn't believe it. All I can say is that I'm glad to see you."

"Really?" Spyro said. "Why?"

"Have you heard any of the rumors?" the leader asked.

"No."

"Then you're lucky, but you're also behind. There is a rumor that this Shadow Golem they call Zelophehad has found the Heretic Jewel, and he is planning to use it soon." Looking behind him, Spyro saw the shock on everyone's faces, especially Stealth Elf's. He saw her turn around, obviously trying to comprehend what she had just heard. Spyro looked back to the leader. "I see one of your own is truly shocked by this revelation."

"Yes, because she saw her own Realm be destroyed by the Heretic Jewel, thanks to Zelophehad," Spyro replied. "We need to get to Charmed Ridge and stop him. But as you likely know, we can't just go through a regular portal. We need to find another one."

"Understandable," the leader said. "I know where you need to go. It will take you first to the Fireworks Factory. That is where you wish to go, isn't it?"

Spyro nodded. "It is."

"Good. Then we can get moving, don't you think?"

The Yeti turned around and started on his way. Spyro looked to the Skylanders, who started forward. He waited for Cynder to come up to him, and he took Sunburn's place when it came to warming her.

"You feeling okay?" he asked.

"Y-yes," she said, and he looked to see she was shivering a little. "I c-could be w-worse."

"Well, it's almost over," he said. "We're getting out of here, and then you can feel the warm air again."

They moved on until they reached a hill, where there was a path winding around it. They went upward until they were on top of the hill.

Once there, they saw another cave. Before entering, the leader of the Yetis turned around.

"There's a portal behind a group of rocks here," he announced. "Similar to the one you used to get here. Once we go through, we will be in the Fireworks Factory, and it will be there that we'll find the supplementary portal to Charmed Ridge. Just know you're all going to experience greater danger than before. I don't mean to scare any of you, but that's how it works."

Then the leader turned back and entered the cave.

"Well, that was interesting," Spyro said. "Might as well go in."

Inside the cave, Spyro found it was warmer than he would have thought. Because of this, he believed he was able to take his wing off Cynder for the time-being. Looking back, he saw her nod at him, letting him know she would be fine until they entered the portal.

The leader of the Yetis was near a group of rocks, which he grabbed and broke away, revealing yet another portal.

"I guess it's good they created these a few years ago," he said. "It's time for us to go through."

He went first, and the other five Yetis followed.

Spyro took one more look back at his fellow Skylanders and his mate, who smiled at him, then jumped into the penultimate portal.


	13. The Fireworks Factory

**Chapter Twelve:**

 **The Fireworks Factory**

The first thing Cynder noticed as she came out on the other side of the portal was the heat. It felt great to her, especially because of her previous two experiences in the Frozen Altars and the Outpost.

She wasn't sure what it would be like to the other Skylanders and the Yetis, but at least she would be able to enjoy it.

"There you are," Spyro said. "Maybe it's just the feeling that I was flushed down a toilet, but it feels like it's been a while since I last saw you."

"Maybe it has," Cynder joked. She laughed, then started looking around. Before she could take everything in, everyone else started arriving, breaking off her concentration.

"Wow, it's warm!" Sonic Boom said as she appeared. Almost everyone else appeared soon after, with Sunburn coming to stand by her side. "I think I'm already starting to sweat!"

"It's not as warm as I would like," Sunburn said, "but it feels good. Of course, I was born in the center of a volcano, so I know much warmer conditions."

"Good point," Sonic Boom admitted. She looked to Cynder. "You love it, I'm sure." Then she looked over at Spyro. "What about you? Is this one of your favorite Realms?"

"Yes," Spyro said. "I would have to consider it my favorite out of them all. This is also probably one of the few in Evening Lake I can actually say I enjoy, besides Frozen Altars and, now, the Outpost."

"I'm glad to hear it, Spyro!" Bentley said once he had gotten past what looked to be the strange feeling Spyro had explained to Cynder. "I'll have to admit that you're right, though. Evening Lake is filled with a lot of weird places, and if I had to, I would move. Knowing Bartholomew, though, he'll never want to leave, and I have to be sure to always keep an eye on him until he gets a little older."

"Hey, I'm not _that_ helpless!" Bartholomew protested. "I've just gotten into a few issues, is all."

"Yes, you are," Bentley told him. "Remember, had it not been for you, I never would have had to battle that other Yeti in Frozen Altars in the first place!"

"At least one of us had fun," the leader of the Yetis added. "I wanted a good sparring partner, and thanks to your little brother, I was finally able to find one. Say what you will about him, but at least he helped me to find someone that I could consider my equal in a fight."

Bentley grumbled beneath his breath, and while it did not seem like the leader could hear him, Cynder definitely did, and when she looked to Spyro, she saw he had, as well.

"There was a part of me that was apprehensive about returning here, I'm not going to lie," Spyro said as he came over to Cynder.

"Why? Bad memories?"

"No. Well, maybe. There are some enemies around here that can be extremely annoying, and all because of one reason."

"The fact they're ninjas?"

As Cynder said this, Spyro looked over at her in surprise, only to realize why it was that she knew that.

"Of course you knew that," he said. "I told you about all my adventures."

"Exactly."

She stepped ahead of him, looking around where the portal had brought them. It was like a corridor, but where walls would be in a common structure, there were two large rock faces. One could consider them walls, but Cynder did not think in that kind of way when it came to them.

The ground beneath her paws was green, and there were what looked to be yellow lights built into it, which projected shining beams of the same color about ten-to-fifteen-feet into the air. Over to her left there was a bridge connecting another similar area to this, but under the bridge, she found lava.

"I actually forgot you mentioning anything about lava being here," Cynder said.

"Maybe I left it out," Spyro said. "There are times where I try not to worry you out too much."

Before Cynder could say anything else, she heard a loud _WHOOSH_ ing noise. Looking the other way, she found a rocket had been sent into the air. She watched with awe as it exploded and produced sparkles of many different colors.

She also saw the outline of what looked to be a factory. She could only guess that was where the Realm got its name.

"That's where we're going to have to go," Spyro explained. He turned to the Skylanders. "There is a factory here that gives this Realm its name. We'll have to go there and see what we can find. It is possible the portal to Charmed Ridge is within it. We won't know, however, unless we get over there and check it out. Now, let's get moving."

He turned back around and started forward, with Cynder trailing after him. Bentley soon joined him up at the front, too, along with Sunburn and Sonic Boom.

"We might find Agent 9 here, if we're lucky," Bentley said. "He's probably torching whatever number of Rhynocs that remained here after the defeat of the Sorceress."

"He's the crazy one, isn't he?" Cynder asked.

"Crazy doesn't begin to describe him," Bentley answered. "There was a time where I wondered how I could possibly deal with being anywhere near him. Then I got used to his antics, and we've been good friends ever since."

"So, if he were attacking these…Rhynocs…then where would he be?" Sonic Boom inquired.

"Who knows? He could easily be anywhere," Bentley said. "I've seen him down in the lava caves not too far from here. He's told me that he'll go anywhere if he can find a good time."

"When I first met him, he forced Moneybags to start dancing," Spyro reminisced. "All of you guys did something to Moneybags after I paid him to free you, and it was worth it. Not only was I able to watch as Moneybags got what was coming to him, but it helped me to know that I had just gained a few new friends."

"That makes me wish I could have been there to witness it," Cynder said. "I'm just glad I've never had to deal with Moneybags myself. If I ever met him, then I…oh, I don't know what I'd do, but I would make sure that whatever I did, it would hurt him."

By this point, they had crossed one of the bridges and entered a small construction in the shape of a warehouse. As they did so, a strange sound buzzed through the air.

Cynder looked to Spyro, whom she found was looking forward. She did the same and found a figure shrouded in darkness ahead of them by about a hundred feet.

It made the sound again.

"What is it?" Sunburn said.

"I don't know," Spyro said. "But if it poses any kind of a threat, then I'm ready to take it on."

"That won't be necessary, old friend!" the figure while still a good distance away. It soon came into the light given off by the lights upon the ground, and Cynder saw what looked to be a money in some kind of mechanized suit with a gun on his right hip and a red mohawk on top of his head.

"Agent 9!" Spyro exclaimed. He ran forward, leaving Cynder with the others. "How have you been?"

"Great!" the monkey said.

"Are you alone here, or are the Professor and the others around?" Spyro asked.

"They all went back to Avalar, unfortunately." the monkey replied, and Cynder realized he was talking about the Mole, Faun, and Cheetah she and Spyro had spent time with while they were on their honeymoon in Autumn Plains. "I wanted them to stay, but the Professor said there was 'something more important to do.'" He spoke these words in the same high voice as the Mole, making Cynder smile and chuckle. "Whatever the heck that means, man!" He looked behind Spyro. "I see you brought guests! Woohoo! And Bentley and those other dumb Yetis, too! Wow, you really thought of everything!"

"Yes, Agent 9, how grand it is to come into contact with you again," Bentley said. "Of course, I must tell you that we are not here for all that 'fun and games' rubbish you keep mentioning every single time we come together."

"Then why are you here?" Agent 9 inquired.

"Because we're on a mission to stop Zelophehad," Spyro answered.

"Zelophe- who?"

"Zelophehad. He's a Shadow Golem that's taken over Charmed Ridge," Spyro said. "Surely you've heard of him before, and even if you somehow haven't, the fact Charmed Ridge is in trouble."

"Ah, yeah! I have heard of that guy, then. Just couldn't remember his name." Agent 9 put his right index finger on his chin and looked to think for a moment. "Well, maybe it's because I couldn't pronounce it. Hahaha!"

Cynder raised her brow and wondered if there was something wrong with the monkey. His personality reminded her quite a bit of Trigger Happy, with the main difference being that she actually felt comfortable around the latter.

"Look, we need to get through Fireworks Factory and find our way to Charmed Ridge," Spyro told Agent 9. "If we don't hurry, then Zelophehad might take it over."

"I see," Agent 9 said. "Well—"

There was a loud scream that cut through their conversation, and before anyone could do anything, a creature wearing black jumped into their midst, followed by about three others looking the exact same, though all possessed a different size, with one being small, another being tall, and the other two somewhere between them.

"Ninjas!" Agent 9 yelled. "Ooh boy, it looks like I'm going to see some action tonight! Let's get this party on!"

He started blasting the ninjas with his gun, which Cynder saw was a laster blaster as he shot several green beams of light at the attackers. While it looked like they would have met their mark, the ninjas were somehow able to jump away from the attacks.

Spyro entered the fight and focused his attacks on the tallest of the ninjas. That ninja pulled out a stick and started swinging it around, attempting to hit him. But Spyro was too good for them, and Cynder guessed it was because he had faced off against these enemies before.

While it looked like Spyro and Agent 9 were able to handle themselves with ease, Cynder saw a fifth ninja appear from behind a corner on the outside of the construction. It had a gun in its hand, and Cynder's heart nearly stopped as she saw them point it at Spyro.

With a growl, Cynder jumped forward and breathed her Electricity at the fifth ninja. Having not seen this coming, they were knocked back. The gun fell from their hands, and Cynder hurried to that spot, where she kicked the gun away into the lava, where she saw steam rising.

Turning back, she saw that particular ninja balling their fists. "What have you done, you stupid beast?" they demanded.

"Looks like I've put a wrench in your operation," Cynder said. "How shocking." With that, she breathed her violet Electricity, waiting until the attack caused them to pass out from what she guessed was the pain.

Looking back to Spyro, she found he had defeated one ninja and was in the middle of battling another one. This fight was quicker than the first, with Spyro simply kicking them into the wall. The ninja slid down and remained unconscious upon hitting the ground once again.

As for Agent 9, he was taking on two ninjas at the same time, but this soon ended as he blasted one through the chest. When it came to the second, he grabbed hold of them, turned round, and tossed them at the lava.

While they were still trying to get back to their feet, Agent 9 retrieved a metal ball and rolled it across the ground. It came to rest next to the last of the five ninjas, and when they saw it, a small scream was emitted from their mouths. It was cut off as a small explosion went off, and when it had ended, all that was left of the ninja was a pile of ashes where they had lain.

"Well, that was fun," Agent 9 said. "Well, as I was saying, I'm going to come with you to finish this, even if I don't really understand what's happening." His attention soon changed to Cynder, who realized this once he started speaking again. "Of course, your lady Dragon friend and all these others are more than welcome to come, too."

"She's not just a friend, Agent 9," Spyro explained. "She's my greatest ally. That, and, well…she's actually my mate."

Agent 9 began coughing, soon looking like he was choking. Then he swallowed and calmed down a little, followed by him looking into Spyro's amethyst eyes with extreme shock.

"Mate?" Agent 9 said. "But I thought you said you would never love someone!"

Spyro looked to Cynder apologetically before responding. "Yes, I did say that, but I changed, and now I've pledged to spend the rest of my life with Cynder. I can't imagine life without her now."

Agent 9 shook his head. "I'm not sure how that works, or how that's possible, for that matter. But I'm going to go ahead and tell you that those ninjas were definitely not the last of them. While we thought we had defeated them all, there's been a resurgence. Not only them, but I've seen common Rhynocs, those blood-sucking Mosquitos, and even Ghosts and Demons that were sealed away in awful places like Lost Fleet and Haunted Tomb."

"How long?" Spyro now felt trepidation, something he had not felt since he'd first heard of Zelophehad and all the awful things the Shadow Golem had done.

"Ever since that one creature appeared in Charmed Ridge," Agent 9 said. "It's been going for, at the very least, a few days, and at the very most, a few weeks. Maybe even just before that thing first appeared." There was a pause, and soon Cynder noticed Spyro had become rigid, and that Agent 9 had a confused expression prevalent upon his face. "Hey Spyro, are you okay, buddy? You look a little green around the wings."

Spyro looked to Cynder. "Cyn, can I talk to you for a moment?" He looked back to Agent 9. "Give us a minute, okay?"

The two of them moved off to the side and spoke in hushed tones, doing all they could to ensure no one heard them.

"I think all that we've had to face since we got here is because of Zelophehad," Spyro said. "I mean, I guess that's obvious. But it's almost like his appearance has caused some kind of…mass awakening, like all these things are converging there in Charmed Ridge along with him. These ninjas are the latest of the group." He sighed. "Does this sound familiar to you?"

"Yes," Cynder said. "It sounds like Malefor might have a hand in this, or in the very least, he has inspired Zelophehad. This makes our quest even more important, meaning we're going to have to make haste to wherever it is that the portal to Charmed Ridge is located."

"Agreed." He looked around for a moment. "By the way…thanks for saving me from that one ninja."

"You saw that?"

"A little bit. Those rocket-shooting guys were an extreme annoyance when I last came through here, and I could have been wounded at the very least. Either that, or just bruised."

"I'm always here to help the love of my life."

"I know, and that's yet another of the many, many things I love about you. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You would probably have a lot of trouble without me, and you'd possibly be more injured than you are now. So, you're welcome." She smiled. "Now, before you say anything else, let's get back to what's more important."

Spyro nodded, and together he and Cynder made their way to where Agent 9 still stood.

"Well, we have an idea what's happening," Spyro announced. "I've seen this before. I'm not sure how many of you have ever heard of a monster known as Malefor." He looked around and saw Cynder had hung her head and Hex had a mixed expression of anger and sorrow. "I met him a few times, and when I did, I witnessed him call out for these monstrous creatures, almost like the alpha of a wolf pack calling for the rest of the group to help with its attack or to be part of a meeting. That is what I am seeing with Zelophehad. It is almost as if he is calling these creatures Agent 9 mentioned so that he can use them as a part of his army, to try and stop anyone who stands in his way. I've already heard that Zelophehad destroyed an Elven Kingdom in Skylands, meaning he isn't part of the Forgotten Realms. Somehow, he came to be here, and he has already left a trail of destruction in his wake. This means, even more than before, that he needs to be stopped. We need to find that last portal and go through it. Once that is done, we can find him and destroy him."

There was a smatter of applause from the Skylanders, as well as Bentley, Bartholomew, the other Yetis, and Agent 9. Cynder was smiling brightly again, her sapphire eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.

"All right, then, let's go!"

They started walking away from the construction. Agent 9 took the lead, telling Spyro, "I know where that last portal is. If you're going to find it, it's going to be in the factory. We're going to have to infiltrate it, because it's heavily guarded."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Cynder said.

"What?" Agent 9 said. "Did you not hear me? I said that it's heavily guarded! That means that we can't get in very easy! There are those ninjas posted around most of the entrances, and there are even some on the roof. I have no idea how in the heck you're going to get in there, chick."

"Okay, two things. First thing, please don't call me 'chick,' because I have a name, and that is Cynder. Second thing, when are you going to get to the hard part?"

Agent 9 still possessed a confused expression, and he looked over to Spyro with it, seeking an explanation.

"Cynder's good at infiltrating," Spyro said. "I might be the leader of the Skylanders, but Cynder is the one who comes up with some of our best plans. Without her, there would be some missions where we wouldn't have succeeded half as well as we did."

"Fine," Agent 9 conceded. "I'm not sure how any of this love stuff works, but I guess I can go through with it." After another few minutes, Spyro and Cynder noticed a much larger building coming up before them, and as they crossed another bridge, the factory came into clear view. "Yep, that's the place. Once again, I've got no idea how you'll be gettin' in there, Cynder, but by all means, be my guest."

The factory had to be almost five-hundred feet tall and over a thousand feet wide.

Cynder's jaw almost dropped open, but she stopped herself and immediately began searching for a place she could sneak in.

Spyro said to their allies, "We need to help Cynder find a way into the factory. Once she finds a way, she can work her way to the front and let us in! So come on, let's hurry!"

"Uh, Spyro," Agent 9 said, pointing forward, "we have some company."

Spyro looked ahead and found two ninjas coming at them. Both had swords this time, shocking Spyro completely. He had only ever seen the rocket launchers and the batons, but never swords. This automatically made these ninjas that much more dangerous.

Stealth Elf suddenly stepped forward, along with Sonic Boom and Sunburn. Sonic Boom released her scream, and while that did not bring the armed ninjas to their knees, it was enough to make them stumble.

And their stumbling became a fatal mistake.

Stealth Elf leapt at the one on the left and plunged one of her Dragonfang daggers into that ninja's neck. Their sword dropped to the ground with a loud clatter.

Sunburn remained where he was and breathed a torrent of Phoenix Fire. Stealth Elf saw this coming and flipped back a foot or two so as to not be caught in the attack's radius. The ninja on the right was turned to ash almost immediately as the Fire engulfed them. All that remained when Sunburn had finished was a pile of ash and a molten sword.

"Well, that was interesting," Agent 9 blurted. "I'm so surprised that I have no idea how the heck I can follow that up. Should we just get back to doing what we were doing before those weaklings tried to take us on?"

"Yes," Spyro said, shaking his head and trying to stifle the laughter that nearly came about because of Agent 9's awkward delivery. "Let's get going."

Taking care to not step in the molten metal of what had once been a sword, the Skylanders moved towards the factory, and once they reached it, they saw the doors that would not open for them for the time-being.

They immediately began looking for an opening that Cynder could get through so she could let them in.

During this time, Slam Bam grumbled as he examined the far side of the left wall. "Why is she the one that's doing this, again?" he asked Whirlwind.

"Who knows?" Whirlwind said. "I agree, it's kind of stupid that she's the one they chose, but I think it could be worse. At least she's doing something that actually has meaning, rather than just being around with Spyro and continuously getting a free pass."

"Sounds more like you're jealous than angry at her," Sonic Boom said as she came near them, causing Whirlwind to gasp. "Just be careful, Whirlwind. You're talking bad not only about the mate of your leader, who also happens to be your second-in-command, but also about the best friend of your Element's Captain. Be careful."

Whirlwind nodded in a scared way, and while she believed Sonic Boom would walk away, she soon found the Griffiness was remaining where she was, almost as if to keep an eye on her.

Sonic Boom looked at the wall they were examining, and she noticed with her sharp, eagle-like emerald eyes, a strange area of the wall. It did not look like it belonged, almost as if it had been put in place in a hasty renovation. She moved forward and placed her right paw upon that spot. As she did so, she felt the area sink in.

She moved her paw upward and found an area where she could move her claws between it and the wall behind it. Gripping it as hard as she could, she ripped the panel off. When it had been removed, Sonic Boom saw a grate with a gap between the bottom of the grate and the bottom of the three bars that would stop most from getting into the vent behind it.

But it wouldn't stop Cynder.

"Cynder!" she called.

Cynder came running to her.

"What is it?" she asked. Sonic Boom pointed to the spot, and Cynder smiled. She hugged Sonic Boom before moving to that spot.

Spyro and Agent 9 came to the area, as well. "Okay," Spyro said. "Is there something that she needs to look for specifically?"

"It probably won't be too hard to find the 'open' button," Agent 9 said. "But if it's going to be anywhere, then it will be in the control room. In order to get there, you'll have to face off against a few enemies. But it shouldn't be too bad. So go, and have fun! Woohoo, this is almost over!"

"But how will she get in there? She's too big!" Slam Bam said.

Cynder smirked. Before going in, she kissed Spyro on the cheek, looked back at the grate, and concentrated. She performed her Shadow Dash and went between the bottom of the grate and the third bar. When she released the concentration, she found herself inside the vent. Behind her, she heard an audible gasp.

She made her way through the vent, hoping to find a sign of where she needed to be.

"You'll have to go a little father, most likely," Spyro yelled through the grate. "That's what Agent 9's telling me. There will be a few signs as to where you are going, though, so it should be easy for you."

As she crawled, she couldn't help but think about the fact Zelophehad had taken inspiration from Malefor. Of course, him calling those creatures to him wasn't something Malefor had originated, as it had surely been around for eons, but Cynder knew Malefor had popularized it for those who were evil.

"I haven't heard from them in a while," a voice said from out of nowhere. Cynder moved a little more forward and soon found light emanating from somewhere below. It illuminated an area of the vent just ahead of her. It obviously meant there was another grate just ahead.

"Well, then, where could they be? We have to get to Charmed Ridge, and we have to do it soon!" another voice shouted. "The Shadow Golem is calling us. If we do not arrive, then we will find ourselves in great peril!"

Once she had reached the grate, Cynder peered down and found two ninjas standing near one another, one right below her and one standing off to the right. They both had swords in hilts on their left hips. This made them more dangerous, definitely, but Cynder knew she could take them. She had taken on far worse, after all.

"I'm not sure what to do, honestly," the ninja right below her admitted, hanging his head. "I've heard what that creature can do, and the power of the thing they call the Heretic Jewel frightens me. If we're not careful, if we step out of line, then we will automatically be killed!"

"It doesn't matter!" the ninja off to the right snapped. "We will not have another chance like this! We might be killed if we make mistakes while around Zelophehad, but we are more likely to die if we remain where we are!"

Cynder broke the grate through which she watched the conversation and Shadow Dashed through it. She dropped to the floor and found herself between the two ninjas.

"Well, you're not wrong," Cynder said. "The both of you have made some pretty big mistakes. If I were you, then I would start running!"

The ninja who had been below her looked as though he was about to faint, for his knees had begun shaking and when he next spoke, his words were stuttered.

"I-I'm n-n-not sure ab-bout th-that," he said as well as he could. "I'm n-not g-g-going t-to r-r-run!"

"Really? Hm, how surprising, given the amount of fear you're showing me right now," Cynder said.

"I have to admit, she's right," the ninja off to the right said. "So, please, shut up. As for you, Dragoness, what gives you the right to give me orders? There is nothing you can do to stop me!"

Cynder yawned, allowing some of her Electricity to shoot out and hit that ninja. Literally shocked, they retrieved a rocket launcher and began shooting it at Cynder.

While a little afraid of the rockets, she soon realized this ninja had bad aim, and everywhere she went, the rockets that were supposed to come at her were at least three inches away each time. Explosions rang throughout the factory, and Cynder saw some of them were damaging technology all around her. Soon, the armed ninja ran out of ammunition, and Cynder kicked them as hard as she could, which sent him flying into a table, knocking him out. This left only the timid ninja.

"P-please, don't k-kill m-m-me!" he cried. "I haven't done anything! Please!"

"Where's the switch to open the main entrance doors?" Cynder demanded. "You will tell me, or you will suffer the same consequences as your friend. Or, worse, you will die just like some of your allies that tried to take us down outside!"

"Okay, th-the control is in th-th-the c-control r-r-room!" he yelled.

"Good. Now, run away, and don't ever come back! If you ever come here again, know that I will find you, and I will kill you."

The ninja nodded and ran for dear life, bumping into several tables and other things along the way, leaving Cynder alone. Now all she needed to do was get to the control room and open the doors for everyone else.

She walked around and looked for a sign of that room. Once she found it, then everything would be good. But until she found it, her allies would have to wait, and those who inhabited Charmed Ridge would be under the tyranny of Zelophehad.

As she passed a table that had fallen, she noticed something that had fallen off it. She looked closer and her heart nearly skipped a beat when she realized that the piece of paper she was looking at turned out to be a map of the entire factory. She smiled and started looking at it, finding that she was in the right area. All she needed to do was go towards the hallway in front of her and take a left, where she would find the correct location.

Taking off, she ran through the hallway and took the left when it came about. In that hallway, she found a door upon which a plaque had been placed, which read: CONTROL ROOM.

Rolling her eyes, Cynder used her Shadow Dash again to get underneath the door. Once inside, she noticed all the devices that lay around her. She would have been awed if it hadn't been for the seriousness of the current circumstances.

Seeing what looked to be a main control board, Cynder hurried over and jumped on top of it, searching for a button that would allow the others to enter. Her eyes passed over all the buttons, finding a large red button under the words "Entrance and Exit Controls." She guessed hitting the button would open every single door in the factory.

Just before she pressed it, she looked ahead of herself and found footage of all the areas where cameras recorded. Much to her surprise, she found there was footage of the front of the factory…and it showed all of the Skylanders and their allies. She couldn't help but laugh at how inept these ninjas were.

Without wasting another moment, she pressed the button, and as she watched, she found the main doors had opened, and everyone was beginning to file inside.

Now that she had finished here, she could make her way back to the front and reunite with her allies.

Then she thought about how the ninjas could still use some of this to her advantage, and she released a shockwave that shorted out much of the tech around her.

When finished, she walked out of the control room and went back to the main entranceway, where she found Spyro and the others waiting on her.

"There you are," Spyro said. As she approached, he placed a paw on her shoulder. "I knew I could count on you, as always."

Cynder smiled and laughed.

"All right, enough of that weird stuff," Agent 9 interrupted. "Let's get moving, if we're going to find that last portal you were talking about."

A sound appeared in the room other than them, and Cynder looked to where the body of the ninja she had knocked out lay.

He was stirring, and soon he opened his eyes. "Hey, what…?" His eyes became large as he found all of them in the same room. "What is happening here? Who are all of you people?" He noticed Cynder and was about to say something more, but Cynder stopped him.

"Something you wouldn't understand," Cynder interrupted, walking to him and shocking him once again, this time harder than before. "Now go back to sleep." The shocks she gave him caused him to fall back into unconsciousness.

"Where is this last portal?" Spyro inquired of Agent 9.

"Where that one rocket was," Agent 9 responded. "As weird as it sounds, it's true. We placed it there just in case. Plus, it's not too far from where the portal you took to get back to Evening Lake was placed. I think it all works out."

He took the lead yet again, and everyone followed the monkey.

They passed a few halls as they followed Agent 9 through the factory, and Cynder saw rockets, explosives, and many other weapons that the ninjas were more than likely planning to use against their enemies.

"Did the ninjas happen to say anything before you took them down?" Spyro asked Cynder.

"They're definitely planning to go to Charmed Ridge and join with Zelophehad," Cynder said. "Strangely, I saw in their control room a surveillance array, complete with cameras outside. Because of that, they should have seen us coming, and yet they didn't. They should have had someone in that control room. Something's wrong."

"Weird," Sonic Boom said. "Do you think they're planning something that we won't be prepared for?"

"I don't see how, but…I've seen stranger things happen," Cynder said.

"If they are going to try something on us, then at least we'll be ready for them," Sunburn said. It shouldn't be too bad, if you ask me."

"There was a second ninja, too," Cynder told them. "I saw him, and what was really weird was the fact he didn't want to fight me at all. He was actually trembling, and the way he spoke…it reminded me of myself whenever I'm cold. I told him to run after I took down his partner, and he did just that. Something seemed off there, too, but I don't really know what it was."

"Maybe just the fact he was a coward?" Spyro suggested. "Really, if you're going to be ninja, then you should actually have some kind of bravery."

Before they could say anything else, Agent 9 stopped them. He pointed to where they were.

It was in a large, round room with a hole in the middle. The room itself had a green tinge, and while there were columns holding up the ceiling, there were no walls. The room was exposed to the elements, with the warm night air flowing through.

"Might as well go down and see what there is," Spyro said. "Cyn, Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Agent 9…come with me. The rest of you, remain out here and keep watch. Cynder probably took down the last of the ninjas in here, but we can never be certain."

He saw Slam Bam roll his eyes, which caused him to do the same. Slam Bam realized he'd been seen once he saw this, and he quickly looked another way, making Spyro (as well Cynder, who had been watching, too) smile.

The five of them walked to the hole and looked down it. Agent 9 looked back at Spyro after a moment. "What was down here, again?" he asked.

"A mission that involved taking down some strange-looking Dragons," Spyro replied. "It wasn't too hard."

He went ahead and jumped down the hole. When his paws hit the floor, he looked around…

…and saw someone he had hoped to never see again, causing him to freeze.

When Cynder jumped down, she saw Spyro had frozen, looking ahead of him, and before she could ask what was wrong, she looked forward, as well, and saw a Bear with brown fur wearing a suit and tie, holding a bag with the symbol of the gems Spyro had had to collect throughout his adventures.

She recognized him because of Spyro's descriptions of him:

Moneybags.

"Well, if it isn't Spyro!" Moneybags exclaimed. "I have not seen you since we stopped the Sorceress! How long has it been since then? Two, three years? Ah, this is a great reunion!"

Spyro outstretched his claws and snarled, "What are you doing here, Moneybags? Shouldn't you be back in Avalar? The last time we saw each other, it didn't end so well for you."

"Yes, well, after I got burned on that deal, I had to run into Crystal Islands, where I found a place I could hide for the time-being," Moneybags explained. "I waited there until I could start a new business, and then returned to Spooky Swamp, where I was able to sell more lies to those idiotic inhabitants!" He laughed heartily.

By this point, Sunburn, Sonic Boom, and Agent 9 had jumped down, as well, and the monkey began glaring at the evil Bear. Moneybags saw him and his eyes widened. "Oh no, this isn't good," he said.

"Yeah, it's not, fat boy!" Agent 9 shouted as he raised his blaster. "If I were you, I would start running!"

"Wait," Spyro said. "We need to learn what he's doing here. Do you have a role in the resurgence of the ninjas?"

"Well, I sold them some new weapons, but other than that, I'm innocent. There's no need for you to be angry or anything, little Dragon. Now, why don't you tell me who your new friends are! It's been so long since I last saw you, and so I haven't been able to keep up with your life since your last visit here!"

"Sure," Spyro said. "But first, I'll have my mate Cynder give you a lesson on what it means to feel pain."

Before Cynder could do anything, Moneybags pulled out a detonator, causing everyone to freeze again.

"This shouldn't have to end in such hatred!" Moneybags said. "I have been paid a fortune by the one they call Zelophehad—or I will be, at least—to stop anyone from coming through! The portal to Charmed Ridge is right behind me, and you will never be going through it! There is nothing you can do to stop me!"

The floor suddenly shook beneath Spyro's paws. He looked behind him and saw Bentley had now appeared. The white-furred Yeti automatically became angry when he saw Moneybags.

"Oh no," Moneybags said.

"Oh yes," Bentley said. "I have been waiting for a reunion, you larcenous, duplicitous Ursine! You have been taking advantage of good people and stealing anything they have! There are many who have trouble even providing for their families, and yet you have stolen from them. You are smooth, but you have never been the smartest. We've cornered you."

"You cannot do anything to me!" Moneybags shouted. "I have been hired to do this! I am better than all of you!"

"Better, eh?" Sunburn said. "Better than a Hybrid between a Phoenix and a Dragon? You really consider yourself better than that?"

Spyro watched as Moneybags began to break down, fear entering his dark brown eyes. He started shaking and whimpering. It was almost sad to see him reduced to such a state.

But Spyro was far happier to see him scared due to all the problems the Bear had caused him during his quests.

"Drop that detonator, step away from the portal, and allow us to go through!" Spyro commanded him. "You know you can't defeat us. Even if you trigger that detonator, you won't be able to defeat us. Just know that we need to get through that portal so that we might be able to save the Forgotten Realms from that monstrous Shadow Golem."

Moneybags merely nodded and dropped the detonator. Cynder blasted it, turning it to ash. Moneybags looked down at it and began quivering even more.

"What are you?" Moneybags asked.

"We're the Skylanders," Spyro replied.

Moneybags got to his feet and ran for his life, hurrying as fast as his fat body would allow him into the portal to Charmed Ridge, which resembled all the others they had taken to get here.

"Well, that's over," Spyro said.

"I can see why you hate talking about him," Cynder said. "Now I'm glad we never had to see him during our honeymoon."

Spyro turned to Bentley. "Thanks for stepping in," he complimented. "We might not have gotten the same success had it not been for your timely arrival."

"No problem, Spyro!" Bentley said. "I have been wanting another round with that creature. With the amount of trouble he's caused over the years, he deserved far worse. Maybe that'll happen another day."

Spyro nodded, then looked above them. "You can all come down now!" she announced to the rest of their allies. "It's all done down here!"

As the Skylanders began dropping down, Bentley looked to Spyro again. "I believe we—the other Yetis and I—will have to leave right now, Spyro. We're not abandoning you, but we have a plan, and in order for us to get it done, we're going to have to return to the other Realms," he explained. "We'll be back as soon as we possibly can."

"Okay," Spyro said. "Just hurry, because I don't know when the fight with Zelophehad will begin, nor do I know how difficult the battle with him is going to be."

With a simple nod, Bentley walked back to the six other Yetis and told them his plan, which more than likely included the specifics he had not given Spyro. Though he wanted to know them, Spyro decided it was probably better if he was surprised.

After the seven Yetis had jumped back through the hole and were gone, Spyro stood before the Skylanders and started addressing them.

"This is the final portal," he told them. "Once we go through this, we'll be in Charmed Ridge, and it will be there that we'll find Zelophehad." His eyes traveled to Stealth Elf. "This is a fight that could easily go both ways. I know he has the Heretic Jewel, and I know that even without that he is a dangerous foe, but I have faith that we can take him. We need to stand together as Skylanders and destroy this creature. As long as he is still here in the Forgotten Realms, he will be able to cause more and more destruction. It is time we do what we know is right and show him what happens to those who threaten our friends and our allies. As long as we stand together, we cannot fail! Now, let's get going!"

Spyro turned back to the portal and walked towards it. He threw himself in, with Cynder right behind him, followed by Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Stealth Elf, and so on.

Stealth Elf felt her heart beating fast, and happiness flowed through her. It was here and now that they would face the monster that had killed her father and destroyed the Viridian Kingdom.

It was here and now that she would battle him.

And it was here and now that she kill Zelophehad and avenge all those who had died at his hand.


	14. Revelations

**Chapter Thirteen:**

 **Revelations**

Ami sat there in her cell in the dungeons, wondering what had truly happened to her husband. Zelophehad had explained he had been there in the blast radius when he first appeared, and according to him, that meant he was certainly dead.

But Ami did not truly believe that.

She had an idea that he was still alive, and she was going to try to prove it.

But first, she would need to find a way to get out of this cell and out of the castle, where, if she could make her way to the village, she might be able to get information on what had happened down there in those tunnels. Many of the inhabitants of the nearby village relied on mining the minerals down there to provide for them and their families.

"Princess, what are you doing?" one of her advisors, another Felinian asked.

"I am trying to find a way out of here," Ami answered.

"Then you are wasting your time," he said.

"No, I am not. I know there is a way out of here, and I know there is a way to learn whether or not my husband is dead! I will not be stopped in this quest of mine!"

"But you do not truly know whether or not you are in the right here!" her advisor protested. "I think you have the right idea, but you and I both know that this Shadow Golem is far stronger than both of us, and if we try to escape, then he will learn of it. Once he learns of it, he will stop at nothing to track us down and kill us!"

"Maybe so," Ami said. "But I do not think that way. I am an optimist, and I will do everything I can to believe that he is alive so that I do not give up hope. I will not rest until I know the truth."

"You have a strong heart, Princess," the Felinian said. "Truly, if it had not been for you, then I would have lost my faith long ago."

"I can always help you to find you faith, if you need help there," Ami said. "I know how hard these things are for you. You became one of the victims of this takeover, and I never meant for that."

"You mustn't blame yourself. I knew things like this would occur, and I knew it wouldn't take long for me to start cracking under the pressure. Even now, I ponder what to do, even despite your wisdom. I've not lost my faith, even if that is what it seems like but I have found myself wondering at times if I am on the right side."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean…the enemy has been able to take us down so easily. If that is the case, then it makes me wonder if I should turn to them rather than remain on the side of what you would call 'good.' But I know that is not how it should be, and I through that thought into the toilet. You have shown me that optimism is the best cure for these thoughts, and I will try to think like you."

Ami smiled. "You are strong, Torin. You do not have to fear death, for you should always remember there is a place on the other side for you to go to. I realize there are many who do not believe in such a place, but I do, and I think that is where we will all go when life has ended."

A jangle of keys reached Ami's ears, and she turned around to find the head guard of the dungeons, also a Felinian—this one with red fur and black eyes—coming their way. He was looking downcast, more than likely a result of being forced to turn against his own kind and his own friends and allies. When he stopped by their cell door, he looked at Ami and her advisor with sorrow.

"Forgive me," he said. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant for any of you to be imprisoned."

"Why did you turn against us?" Torin demanded.

"I had no choice," the head guard said. "Zelophehad threatened to kill my family if I did not join him, and I was a coward. Azrael taught me not to give into bribes such as that, since the one making the bribe will still more than likely go behind your back and betray you. But I forgot his words and lost my faith when he seemingly died. Now I am left in this ruin, wondering what more I could have done…whether or not I could have stopped any of this from happening."

Then he looked Ami in the eyes. "That is why I am going to help you escape."

"What?" Ami said. "You would do that, despite the threat?"

"Of course," he said. "You are my princess, and he is no more than a delusional beast who calls himself a god. This will soon be over, and when it is, Charmed Ridge will return to the glory it once experienced when the Fairies and the Felinians put aside their differences and become allies through marriage. Now, are you with me, or do you want to remain here in this cell for the rest of your life?"

Ami smiled and flew over to him. He said to her, "I have the keys. Once I open these doors, you and your advisor will need to run as fast as you can. I do not know how long it will be before Zelophehad finds out, or how long it will be until he finds us. He has more help now, due to these awful creatures coming in from all over the Realms. Once you are free, find your way out of the dungeon, move through the halls as quietly and as quickly as you can, and find a passage to the outside. Once there, head towards the village, as they will be more than happy to take you in."

"Hasn't the village been taken over by Zelophehad?" Ami asked.

"No, but he's planning on it," the head guard said. "I heard him and that little tyrant called Kaos discussing it and even laughing about it. There's other news you should know, however, and while it does not seem either of them have learned about it, it will not be long. The Skylanders are coming, and while you may not recognize that name, their leader is an old friend of yours: Spyro."

"Spyro is coming?" Ami said. "But how? When did he learn of this?"

"There are ways, thanks to your many friends and allies," the head guard said. He opened the cell door. "Now go! I will be right behind you, but I'll also have to ensure that no threats come your way as you escape!"

"Wait." She looked to Torin. "What of you? Aren't you going to come with me?"

"I would, Princess," Torin said. "But it's like Reman said—we need to ensure no one tries to capture you again. I am not going to allow that to happen, because I know you deserve to live the happiest of lives. Thanks to you, I once more have faith within me, and even if I die, I will not lose it. Now go!"

Ami flew out of the cell and went as fast as she could. She needed to escape the dungeon before any of the other guards could find her and stop her. She realized she was leaving behind many of her friends and family, but she would come back for them once she had found Spyro.

The idea that he had come to rescue her made her heart beat fast with joy yet again. He had been a great friend during his time here nearly three years ago, and she would now have to repay the favor in some way by helping him into this castle.

Just behind her, Torin and Reman watched her closely, also looking all around the dungeons and its many halls and passages for signs of Zelophehad's other lackeys. If they were to come, then they would have to get into battle, and Reman reached into both the hilts on either of his hips, handing the one on the left to Torin.

"You're going to need this," he said.

"Thank you," Torin replied. "Tell me, if we make it through this, then what do you think we should do next?"

"Join the fight!"

Torin nodded, realizing that was the best course of action. He was actually itching for a battle right now, as he had not been able to train in a while. Azrael had sparred with him whenever he could, and it was moments like those that made the Felinian smile. He realized his faith was stronger than ever, and he now vowed to fight against Zelophehad to his last breath. If the monster was going to stand in the way of victory until the end, then all he needed to do was find a way to cut him down.

There was the sudden appearance of the sound of footsteps, and the two Felinians stopped as they saw another of their kind appear from one of the passages and step in front of Ami. Reman recognized him as Oliver, one of the Felinians that had given them up and allowed Zelophehad to either imprison or kill many of those within the castle.

"Where do you think you're going, Princess?" he hissed. "You are still needed to complete Zelophehad's plan!"

"Out of the way, Oliver!" Reman commanded. "She is going to leave this dungeon, and there is no reason for you to stand in her way! Move, or I will be forced to do something I would never have thought of doing before the Shadow Golem came about!"

"And what is that, Reman?" Oliver taunted. "Are you going to curl up on the floor and begin crying? Will you call out for your mommy and ask her to bring you a cup of nice, warm milk?"

"No."

"Then what?

"I'll kill you."

Oliver became rigid, and Torin looked to Reman with wide eyes. He obviously could not believe the words he had heard come from the head guard's mouth. Reman himself was shocked. While it was true that he did not wish to kill someone who had once been a friend and ally of his, he could not stand for those who had given into Zelophehad's temptation. Those who did deserved a special place in Hell, and Reman would be the one to send them there.

Running at Oliver, Reman swung at him, though he waited for a quick moment before swinging a second time for Ami to get out of the way.

"Go, Princess!" he ordered her. "Get out of here! Use the passages down here to find a way out! There's no use going above now, thanks to this fool! NOW GO!"

Ami did as she had been asked, though she felt grief at the idea that she might never see Torin or Reman ever again. The idea that they would be gone from her life was one that she could almost not bear.

She knew there was a passage down here that led to the outside, but she needed to remember where it was. A memory came running back to her, one where she and Azrael had discovered it together. She knew now that she was going the right way thanks to this memory, and all she needed to do now was follow the signs.

There was the cracked wall, followed by the cell in which a Ghost had tried to take over a prisoner's body, black ectoplasm still present within. A torture chamber that had only been used once—with the torture that had been done one so bloody that some of the blood stains became mixed with vomit from the guards who witnessed it as a result—and…

…the lever.

She had found it!

Pulling the lever, she heard a sound that resembled that of something crumbling. However, it was just one of the walls turning and revealing to her a tunnel that would allow her to reach the outside world, where she could find the village and wait for Spyro to arrive.

Once it was wide open, she buzzed past it, quickening her pace once again. Unless there was someone at the lever, as there had been when she Azrael had discovered the passage, then the wall would close again, as would the one that had opened at the end of the tunnel. Once that had happened, then the air would cut off, and Ami would begin to suffocate.

But that would not happen.

She increased her pace as much as she could.

She came closer.

And closer.

And closer.

Soon, she had reached the end of tunnel and she found herself staring out into the open.

Much to her horror, she heard a bloodcurdling shriek from behind her. She looked back as if to see what it was, but then realized there was no way she could do that, and returned her attention to her escape.

Adding to her horror was the fact that the second wall had begun to close. But this horror subsided as she flew through the opening.

Now she had reached the outside world.

Now she was free from Zelophehad.

And now she had to find the village.

Across the ground she flew, almost like a bullet from what some of her soldiers had called a gun—a weapon that had been mostly discontinued in magical locations such as this.

There was the shadow of a figure just ahead of her, causing her to gasp. She hid behind a tree, peering behind it just so that she could try to see who it was.

When they entered the light of the moon a few steps forward from where they had stood a few moments before, she saw it was another of her guards, one whom she believed was still loyal to her. Deres was his name, she remembered.

She appeared from behind the tree and moved slowly to where he stood. He did not notice her until she was about a foot away. When he did finally see her, he let out a gasp, as well.

"How did you escape?" he asked her.

"Torin and Reman gave me a chance," she answered. "I know I don't have much time, but I need to know if you know what is going on around here."

"The word from the village is that the Skylanders have arrived, led by our old friend Spyro," he began. "They supposedly heard news of Zelophehad and came all this way from Skylands to help us. They started in Sunrise Spring and the Alp, followed by Midday Gardens and the last we heard, they were in the Enchanted Towers. No other word has been heard from those sources, so we are not sure where they are now."

"All I know is that they are in danger." Ami looked around to ensure there was no one else near them. "You already know this, I'm sure, but Zelophehad has the Heretic Jewel. If he uses it upon them, then they won't stand a chance!"

"I wouldn't say that," Deres said. "I've heard the Skylanders have been able to win battles where even greater odds were against them. I am not saying this battle will be easy, but if they do what needs to be done, then I think the Skylanders will be able to take Zelophehad down."

"Maybe you're right. But I'm not sure if I want to take that risk. All I need to do now is get to the village, where I will be able to at least rest some before they arrive—I am sure they are coming here, given that all of the Forgotten Realms now knows what's happening in Charmed Ridge."

"I see. Well, if that's the case, then I am coming with you. I am supposed to be keeping an eye on this part of the castle, but as this is an area where almost no one ever comes, then I believe I have been tricked by Kaos and the others. I want nothing more than to see their downfall. Once the Skylanders arrive, I know all will be made right."

Ami nodded. "Then let's go," she said.

"All right," Deres said. "Follow me, and keep your head down."

She did as he asked, and they traipsed across the grounds of the castle.

There were silhouettes of what Ami guessed were the other guards around here. She prayed they did not look in this direction at all.

"It looks like we have a way to get there without being discovered," Deres told her, pointing ahead. She saw an area where no one was patrolling, where it was wide-open. It was as if the grounds were trying to give them a chance, knowing that everything happening around here was wrong. "We will have to run after a certain point—or fly, in your case—but we will be able to succeed if we do this correctly. Once this is done, then we are one stop closer to seeing this Realm return to the glory it once had—and to seeing you as our Princess once again, Ami."

* * *

Back in the castle's dungeons, Torin and Reman waited for Oliver to make his move. He had not made his yet, and now they had to make sure he did not wound either of them.

"You believe Zelophehad is the way?" Reman asked.

"He gave me a chance to lead, unlike most," Oliver said. "Without him, I think I would be lying in a gutter."

"That is what you will be doing when he has finished the next phase of his plan!" Reman retorted. "Once he's accomplished all his goals, he will use his powers given to him by the Heretic Jewel to destroy us all and create a new world in his image! Are you sure you want that?"

"You lie," Oliver snapped. "He is a grand leader, and he has shown me what he will do with the Forgotten Realms when this is all over! I have seen it, and it is beautiful, truly."

"Maybe so, but I'm guessing that was only because what he showed you was a mirror image of the truth," Torin said. "You have been led into a trap by a monster without a heart for love or compassion or kindness, or any of that. You've fallen into temptation, and it has led you to ruin. You are a shell of what you once were."

"No!" Oliver was becoming angrier by the second. "I am the one who will help Zelophehad accomplish all he has ever dreamed about! I will help the Forgotten Realms to realize the truth about our new master! Without him, we are nothing, but with him, we are finally something!"

"That sounds like nothing more than a paragraph written by a child," Reman taunted. "If that is the best you can do, Oliver, then even you must realize you've lost your touch since Zelophehad entered your life."

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"I remember that you were once a fun and bright soldier, one of the new recruits, somewhere about a year ago, and you learned fast. As I taught you, I was able to see promise in you. I knew you would grow to become something amazing! But now, seeing you here…all I see is someone who gave in to temptation and has become nothing."

Evidently tired or too angered by their conversation, Oliver stabbed forward at Reman's chest. Reman allowed the blade to come at him, then raised his blade at the last minute. Oliver's bounced off.

The next attack was a flurry of slashes that came near to hitting Reman several times. They all failed. Reman became tired of this, and he realized there was nothing more that he could do for Oliver. He had tried everything, and now he would have to try something he had never wanted to do to an ally of his.

"I am sorry, Oliver," he said.

He flung himself at the lost child he saw before him and grabbed him by the shoulders. Dodging another blow from his sword, Reman knocked it from his hands and moved behind Oliver. He took his sword and plunged it through Oliver's back. Oliver gasped as it tore through his flesh until the point had burst from his abdomen.

"I never wanted to do this to you, but I can see there was no other way," Reman said. "You will be free, and you will know that you were wrong. You still have a chance to repent for your sins."

Oliver looked up at him. His eyes cleared and he said, "Forgive me." Then his eyes became glass and he stopped breathing.

Knowing that he was dead, Reman lowered him to the ground. He closed his eyes and mourned for the soldier he had once thought of as not only a friend, but an ally.

"How sad," a voice said, its deepness echoing through the dungeons. Turning around slowly, Reman found Zelophehad standing there. "You helped your Princess to escape without me knowing, I see. Well done. Not many could have pulled that off, nor could many have convinced me that you were on my side, when the truth is, you weren't. You will die, of course, but you will die knowing that I have respect for you."

"Then so be it," Reman said, dropping his sword. "There is no reason here for me to fight or to take flight, so you can go ahead and kill me. Just let Torin go."

"No, Reman!" Torin protested.

Before Zelophehad could do or say anything else, a portal opened to their right. It was clear and dazzling, almost like a diamond. Out of it came a little Human with red eyes and black tattoos on his face. He wore a black cloak, and behind him there was a tall green Goblin.

"Ah, we have arrived!" the Human said in a high-pitched voice. His appearance and his voice was a dead giveaway to Reman as to who he was, but he was not sure if the Shadow Golem would know. He saw Kaos look to where Zelophehad stood. "And there's the Shadow Golem that we have heard of. Oh, great Zelophehad, I am the Mighty—"

"I know who you are," Zelophehad boomed. "And I know why you are here. I am glad to see that you have finally arrived. I believe you want an army to lead against the Skylanders."

"How do you know that?" Kaos asked, a look of astonishment upon his face.

"The Heretic Jewel has shown me many things. You are one of them, and I have seen that you will be one of those who will help me to destroy the Skylanders. I have had word that they have reached the Outpost, and soon they will be in the Fireworks Factory. The only reason I have not stopped them is because I want to have a fair fight." Zelophehad looked back to Reman, who felt a shiver run down his spine. "As for you, Felinian, while your words humble me and I will do my best to remember you, I also know that you are a nuisance. You have shown you will kill your own kind if you believe it will help you, and that, to me, shows you are fearless and a dangerous opponent. For that, you must die."

He stepped forward and came to stand just a few inches away from Reman, towering over him. Reman sighed and closed his eyes, knowing what was coming.

He felt the large hand plunge into his chest, and soon all went thought no more.

Torin watched as Reman's body fell to the floor, and Zelophehad's hand was now coated in his blood. "He was a good soldier," Zelophehad said. "As for you, Torin, you shall remain imprisoned. You have not been seen in the Heretic Jewel, meaning you cannot post a threat." He looked to Kaos.

"As for you and I, Kaos, we have much to discuss," he said.

"I agree," Kaos replied. "I don't want to waste anymore time. So…let's get started."

* * *

Ami saw the light in the distance, and she guessed that could only be the village. Next to her, Deres had begun smiling. "We've arrived, and now we can see if there's more for us to learn," he said.

They came closer and closer, soon finding the entrance to the village, a large gate, was blocking them from going inside.

"How do we get in?" she asked. "I mean, I can fly over, but I don't think they would like that very much."

"No, don't do that," Deres warned her. "We'll have to find someone that can let us in."

Ami looked around all the village she could see from where she floated, finding another Fairy passing by. As soon as she saw them, a green-haired female, she became excited.

"Hello!" she shouted to them. "We need to enter this village, please! I am—"

"Princess Ami!" the Fairy said. "Of course you can enter! Let me go get the main watchman, he's currently taking a break!"

"A break, eh?" Deres said. "In a time like this, that could become a fatal mistake."

"Agreed." Ami thought about it. "We'll need to help this village become better with their security. You never know what might come about at this time of night."

The green-haired Fairy soon returned with the watchman, a Felinian that Ami did not recognize. But when he saw her, he became excited.

"Princess! How good to see you! But however did you come here? We heard that monster had imprisoned you!" he exclaimed.

"He did," Ami said. "But I escaped. Now I am here, and I need you to allow me to come inside. I need to learn what I can about the Skylanders, as I know they are coming here. If there is any news within the village, then I would be very happy to learn it."

The watchman unlocked the gate and Ami and Deres entered. Looking to Deres, she said, "Can you stay here with him for a time? Just in case anyone else comes."

"Yes, Princess," Deres said, bowing.

"There are some others by a campfire, and they should be able to help you," the green-haired Fairy said to her. "I was told something else, but now that you are here, it would probably be better if they were to tell you themselves."

She stopped at the campfire. Looking at it, Ami found several creatures sitting around it. When they saw her, they were obviously shocked. Ami did not automatically recognize them, but after a moment or two she saw one of them was a Bear from Icy Peak, a Mouse from the Desert Ruins, and a Goat from the Alp.

"What do you know about the Skylanders coming here?" she asked them before they could say anything to her.

"All we have heard so far is that they have just reached the Fireworks Factory, meaning that they are almost here," the Goat explained.

"How do you know all of this, though?"

"After we heard about Zelophehad, we had the idea that the Skylanders might come," the Mouse said. "After all, Spyro—their leader, and someone we know that you know—was a good friend of ours and of four of our other friends: Sheila the Kangaroo, Sgt. Byrd the Penguin, Bentley the Yeti, and Agent 9 the Monkey. We gave them communicators just in case they came to help out, and they have been giving us information on what is happening. Bentley just said they are in the Fireworks Factory, and it will take them around thirty to forty-five minutes for them to arrive."

Ami sighed with relief. "Good," she said.

"There is something else you should know, Ami," the green-haired Fairy said to her. "There is someone who wants to see you."

Confused, Ami followed the other Fairy as she flew towards a hut. They entered, and the green-haired Fairy stopped about halfway inside. She motioned to an area by the left wall, and when Ami looked, she gasped.

It was Azrael.

He was injured, but he was alive. It looked like his wounds had been tended to.

"We found him crawling out of the caves," the green-haired Fairy said. "We brought him here and tended to his wounds."

"And now you are here," Azrael said, opening his eyes and smiling at his beloved wife. "You have finally come, my love."

Ami went over and hugged him, which he returned. She looked to the green-haired Fairy. "Thank you," she said, to which the other merely nodded.

Now they had been reunited, and Ami could not be happier. All that remained now was for the Skylanders to arrive, and she knew that, when they did, they would take on Zelophehad and finally destroy the Shadow Golem, then retrieve the Heretic Jewel and return it to wherever it belonged.

"I am so happy to be back by your side," she whispered to Azrael.

"As am I, my love," he rasped, his voice filled with exhaustion and pain. "As am I."

For the first time in a long while, Ami smiled.


	15. Charmed Ridge

**Chapter Fourteen:**

 **Charmed Ridge**

The night was calm. Crickets were chirping, and there it looked like there was nothing that could interrupt that. But where a rock face stood, there was a sudden commotion as the portal from the Fireworks Factory appeared, and Spyro and Cynder appeared first, followed closely by the rest of the Skylanders. As they hit the ground, Spyro felt his knees shake a little.

"You okay?" Cynder asked.

"I'm a bit tired," he replied. "But I know we can't sleep just yet. There's a lot more for us to do."

"True," Cynder said. "I probably have dark circles under my eyes as a result of everything we've dealt with."

Spyro smiled and hugged her. "No matter what happens, you'll always be beautiful to me," he whispered to her. "Now, come on. We need to talk to the Skylanders, and then we need to make our way to the main castle. One thing we can always count on with villains is that they can't move away from the idea of having a giant castle." This made Cynder laugh, which made Spyro feel warm. Looking back to all the Skylanders, Spyro started speaking to them, wanting to convey to them the urgency of their current situation.

"We've finally arrived in Charmed Ridge. Now that we are here, we need to see if we can find anyone that is willing to help us with storming the castle. This Shadow Golem has done a lot of wrong, and it is our job to right that. As long as he remains, and as long as he has control of the Heretic Jewel, then we are at a disadvantage. He can use the Jewel to attack us, and it will more than likely wound us. One of our own saw the destruction firsthand, and going off what she said, we need to take heed and approach with caution. At the same time, I know all of you very well in at least some capacity, and I know you can all fight extremely well. If we stand together until the end here, we can take Zelophehad down and free all of the Forgotten Realms from his control. Stand with me, and everything will go back to how it needs to be! Now, let's move over to the village and see what we can find!"

Once again, there was a smattering of applause.

As Spyro turned back to Cynder, he muttered to her, "I actually hope I don't have to give another speech in a while. I don't mind them, but coming up with them on the fly is one of the most nerve-wracking things I've ever had to deal with."

"You did fine," she assured him. He noticed a rasp in her voice, allowing him to know she was tired. Just as she had mentioned earlier, there were now dark rings of tiredness under her eyes, though they were not many. She was still the most beautiful creature he had ever known, and he was honored that he would get to spend the rest of his life with her.

The group started their march to the village. The time it took allowed Cynder to look around Charmed Ridge, seeing many mountains around the landscape, and she could see bridges across several canyon gaps. The indigo-black sky above them had more stars than she had seen in the Fireworks Factory, and the moon was large and bright, illuminating most of what was around them.

"When I was last here, the Fairies and the Felinians were battling each other," Spyro said to Sunburn and Sonic Boom. "The Fairies believed Prince Azrael was planning to take their princess, Ami, away from them. The truth was that the two of them had fallen in love, and they decided they would get married one day. Obviously, that happened in the years since I've been here. But right now, we have no idea what's become of either of them."

"They were at war, though?" Sunburn said. "What caused that?"

"I'm not sure," Spyro said. "I think it had to do with an offense that was taken far too seriously. If I remember correctly, one of the Felinians was allowed to live with a Fairy for a little while, and when he left, the Felinian forgot to truly thank the Fairy. The Fairy decided this was an act of war, and everything just got heated. Battles broke out, and even while the original 'creators' of the war reportedly made up for their mistakes, it wasn't enough for their races. The war raged on until I came around. Then everything cooled down, and the two have been living in peace ever since. The only reason there isn't peace now is because of Zelophehad."

"I find it crazy that such a simple mistake could lead to something so horrible," Sonic Boom said, shaking her head.

"That was what happened to Malefor, too," Cynder added. "An Elder was rude to him at one point, and so when he became more and more power-hungry, the Elder that had been rude to him then tried to calm him down and explain to him the issues that would come with that hunger. But Malefor didn't listen, and that's one of the reasons the Dark Master came to be. He started a war, too, and when it ended a few months later, he was exiled for his actions. While it can be extremely surprising that such things can happen, it isn't uncommon for a simple thing to fuel the fire and add to any major problems that already exist."

"I just wish it didn't have to be that way all the time," Spyro said. "I wish people could just be good to one another and go without having a problem with someone."

"That would be nice," Cynder said, "but if that were the case, then you might have to admit that we never would have met. We can't change the past. We can bury it, we can leave it behind, but the longer you do that, the harder it will be when someone finally comes back to it. And trust me, someone will come back to your past one day, and if you buried it, then they'll dig it up and shove it in your face. The world will always have its unpleasant moments…but at least I have you and every friend I have made as a result of the path that the events in my past ended up taking."

Spyro became happier as he heard Cynder's wisdom. He still wondered where she had gotten it from, because he thought that it was advanced for someone her age.

He looked forward and saw the village was now coming into full view.

There were lights on everywhere, and a fire was burning in the center, smoke rising into the air. It gave off a feeling that Spyro could only describe as "home."

"Here we are," he yelled to everyone. "This is the village. Now we need to see what we can learn about the current events."

They reached a gate, which looked to be locked. Spyro was about to shout out for someone, only for a figure to come running towards them. They unlocked the gate, and Spyro saw they were a Felinian.

"Wait, are you Spyro the Dragon?" they asked in a male voice.

"Yes," Spyro answered.

"You've finally come! We've heard you were coming, but we weren't sure when that would finally be!" The Felinian let out a "whoop!" of happiness. "There are a few here in the village that have been wanting to see you. And please, bring your Skylander friends in."

They entered and started walking through the village.

"They were expecting us," Stealth Elf observed.

"This could be a bad sign," Hex said.

"I don't think so," Cynder said. "Sure, the villagers were expecting us, but that doesn't mean Zelophehad is. We might still have the element of surprise."

"What is it with you and being so optimistic all the time?" Slam Bam called out. "Seriously, I was hoping you would be depressed by now!"

Cynder sighed and rolled her eyes.

While she wanted to say something back, she decided it wasn't worth it. She would have Spyro deal with him later.

"How bad is the current situation?" Spyro inquired the Felinian.

"Things are definitely bad," he replied. "It could be worse, but most of the Fairies and the Felinians have been captured and are either imprisoned in the castle's dungeons, or they have joined Zelophehad and betrayed their own races."

"But why would they do that?" Sunburn said. "That's probably one of the worst things any of them could do!"

"Yes," the Felinian said. "But there are many who believe committing such acts will result in them gaining glory or notoriety of some sort. They have become tempted, which will result in obvious consequences down the road."

They had reached a fire, the one whose light and smoke Spyro had seen from their arrival point.

Around it, he recognized three of the creatures. He had helped them all in some way while coming through the Forgotten Realms.

"Spyro!" Gus the Mouse exclaimed. "I heard you'd come back, but there was a part of me that believed I would never see you again!"

"Gus, what are you doing here?" Spyro wondered aloud. "Did Zelophehad do something to you, as well?"

"No. I just came here because I heard about all that had happened, and I wanted to come and help out. I realize that it's extremely dangerous, but I think it will be very gratifying when it's all said and done."

Spyro also saw one of the Goats from the Alp.

"Hello, Spyro," he greeted. "Where is Sheila?"

"She remained in the Alp for the time-being," Spyro said. "I don't know what she's doing now."

The last of them was someone Spyro had definitely not expected to see here in Charmed Ridge: Dough the Bear from Icy Peak. He raised his brow in confusion, which he assumed Doug saw, as he began explaining himself a moment later.

"Yeah, I can see how it is kind of weird to see someone like me around here," he said. "But when I heard what was happening, I knew I couldn't just sit back and watch, eh?"

Spyro smiled. "Well, it's good to see all of you again," he said. "Is there anyone else here who has experience within the castle? The Skylanders and I need to get in so we can stop Zelophehad."

"Yes," a soft voice said from behind him. Spyro turned around to find Ami floating there, smiling at him. "It has been a long while since our last meeting, Spyro, and I am glad to see you once more."

"Ami, you're alive! Thank God," Spyro said. "When I heard all of this was happening in Charmed Ridge, I was praying that you would get out of the castle unharmed." He became somber as he remember what he had been told about Azrael. "But, I did hear about Azrael, how there's been no word on whether or not he's—"

"He's alive," Ami revealed. "They found him the caverns, and while he was badly injured by Zelophehad, he still lives."

Spyro became happier as a result of that grand news. "That's great! Is it possible that I could see him, though? I need to speak with both of you."

"Of course."

"And…is it all right if I bring my mate along with me?"

"Your mate? I had no idea you had gotten married."

"Yes." Spyro smiled and turned his head to Cynder. "And it's one of the best things that has ever happened to me."

"Well, come on in, and we can begin."

She flew back inside, leaving Spyro to follow her. Cynder joined Spyro, and together the two of them entered the hut.

Once inside, they found the prince on a bed, watching them. His breathing looked shallow, but he was alive nonetheless. He was also covered in bandages as a result of the wounds he had suffered. As he realized who it was that he was looking at, a smile appeared on his face.

"Ah, Spyro, I was wondering when you would come," he said. "I have been waiting for you."

"Prince Azrael, it is an honor," Spyro said, bowing his head. Watching him, Cynder did the same. "I brought the Skylanders with me, as well as my mate, who is also my second-in-command, Cynder. We've come to help you."

"Welcome, Cynder. You are always welcome so long as Spyro is near, and even when he is not. Your mate is one of the best I have ever known."

"I know," Cynder said. "It is good to finally meet you, my Prince, and you, my Princess." She bowed to Ami, as well.

Azrael returned his attention to Spyro. "You have done me a great honor," he professed. "If I wasn't in such bad shape, then I would get up and fight alongside you."

"I understand that," Spyro replied.

"We wish we could have been more ready for your arrival, but there is also the truth that we had no idea you would be coming," Ami said.

"We weren't trying to make it a surprise, but we really didn't have a choice," Spyro told her. "We had to make it so that Zelophehad didn't know we were coming. Sorry."

"Don't be," Azrael assured. "That you would do so much to come and help us is enough, even if it is a surprise."

Spyro nodded.

His mind switched to something else, something that he believed he needed answers to. "So, how did Zelophehad come to be here in the Forgotten Realms? How did he appear and take over the castle? There's a lot of this that still doesn't make sense to me."

Azrael began with a sigh:

"Two friends of mine, Bertemius and Ernieus, went down into the caverns below the Realm. We wanted to see what was down there, and we thought it would be nothing more than a quick excursion, that we'd be home in time for lunch. Little did I know that things would change so horribly. While we were down there, we found these depictions, and one of them ended up coming to life. It was a suit of armor with a sword made of diamond. It slashed Ernieus's shoulder, causing his blood to spray upon another depiction…which happened to be that of Zelophehad. He came to life and told us about how he had been imprisoned by a monster more evil than he—which I am not sure is possible, given what he has been able to do and all that he has done. He took hold of Bertemius and sucked the life-force from him. I tried to get Ernieus out of the way, but Zelophehad threw me at a wall, which broke my arm and bloodied the rest of me. He did the same thing he had done to Bertemius to Ernieus, and when it was done, he left me for dead. When I woke, I was here in this village, where they explained to me that Zelophehad had taken over the castle. I feared for Ami…until she came back to me."

"Yes," Ami said, taking over. "At the castle, I waited for Azrael to come. When he did not, I began praying in the throne room. I heard commotion outside, and soon Zelophehad entered. He was looking for the Heretic Jewel, and he also explained to me that Azrael was 'dead.' Not knowing the truth, I could not help but feel depressed. I was also fearful, as Zelophehad somehow knew that we were in possession of the Heretic Jewel."

"Wait, you had it?" Spyro said, inadvertently interrupting. "But…how?"

"We were sent the gem from the Viridian Kingdom somewhere around twenty years ago. The spirit of an Elf told us it was a last resort, that he believed we were far enough away that Zelophehad would not think to look for it here. Of course, that didn't add to much, but it stopped him for at least a short while. We placed it in a vault near the throne room." Ami took a few breaths before continuing. "When Zelophehad came to the castle, he knew we had it, and he took it. He then imprisoned me. I was able to escape with the help of a few other Felinians. I have no idea what happened to the ones who helped me escape the dungeons, but the one who helped me escape the grounds and come here, Deres, is somewhere around here. I have only been here for around an hour or so."

Spyro began mulling everything over, trying to find a conclusion. There was not a single one that came to mind, but he was sure he would find one after enough thought. Then he thought of something.

"There's someone I know that should hear some of what you just told us, other than Spyro and I," he said to Ami and Azrael. "We have a Skylander who witnessed what happened that night in the Viridian Kingdom, and she explained to us that it not only horrified her then, but it also has haunted her for all those years that have come to pass. Would you mind if I were to call her in here and have you explain the same things you told us?"

Ami nodded, and Spyro walked to the entrance of the hut. He found the other Skylanders were around the fire, enjoying their time with the three other inhabitants of the Forgotten Realms. He located Stealth Elf a little farther away, talking with Hex.

"Stealth Elf!" he called to her. She turned her head to him. "We have something that you should hear." She made her way over to him and entered the hut. When she had entered, Spyro looked over to Ami and Azrael. "Stealth Elf was there that night. Is it possible you could explain to her the same things that you told me?"

"Yes," Ami said. She quickly told Stealth Elf all about how the Heretic Jewel had come to them the night the Viridian Realm had been devastated and how it had remained in their vault until recently. Throughout this, Spyro watched the emotions that danced in Stealth Elf's eyes, from shock to anger to sorrow. The fact he could see so much in just someone's eyes amazed him even to this day.

"So, he really does have it," Stealth Elf murmured. "I don't know how this could have happened!" She mumbled a few more things that Spyro could not pick up. "I did just think of something," she suddenly added. "I remember something more from my childhood! My father told me all about the Heretic Jewel a few weeks before everything happened, and he said that it had one major weakness, something that could destroy if it there was a last resort!"

"What's that?" Spyro asked.

"I can't remember his exact words. I remember hearing both 'torrent' and 'current,' and since both are such similar words, it really could have been either. But…if that's the case, even if it's one or the other, then I think I have an idea about what we can do! Spyro, you can breathe a torrent of Fire, and Cynder, you're capable of releasing a current of Electricity! This is perfect!"

"You really think we need to destroy the Heretic Jewel?" Cynder said. "I would have thought you would want it to be intact so that it could be sealed away again, this time somewhere that it could never be found."

"That is a possibility," Stealth Elf admitted. "But the problem is, that was the thought last time, and somehow Zelophehad was able to locate the Heretic Jewel yet again. If he could do it this time, he can do it again. With that knowledge, I am certain that the only way this quest can end in our victory is if we destroy the Heretic Jewel. Not only that, but we need to kill Zelophehad." She stared Spyro in the eyes. "And I want to be the one to kill him."

"I would expect nothing less," Spyro said. "It looks like we have a part of our plan now."

"And it looks like there's going to be more of one!" Sunburn shouted from outside the hut. Spyro walked over to the entrance of the hut. "Don't worry, that was the only thing I heard out of all of that. But, there is something you should see."

Once he was back outside, Spyro looked ahead of him and found Bentley had returned.

The thing was, he was not alone. Not only had the Yetis from earlier returned, along with Bartholomew, but now there were even more with them.

Spyro saw Sheila and Sgt. Byrd, along with many of the creatures from almost every single location in the Forgotten Realms.

"You brought all of them?" Spyro asked Bentley.

"Of course we did!" Bentley said. "We couldn't let you go through this battle alone! It's time that we do all we can to save our homes."

"It's good to see you guys again," Agent 9 said, coming up to them. "Now we all get to kick this one guy's booty! Woohoo! Yahoo! Yee-ha!"

"We're with you until the end, Spyro," Sheila told him.

"Yes, and even if we die, then at least we can say that our battle will be a grand one!" Sgt. Byrd said.

"Well, I hope none of us die, but other than that, I agree," Spyro said. "Now, we just need a really good plan. Once we're able to do that, then we can get moving."

"We could just march up to the castle and knock on the door," Agent 9 suggested. At this, everyone turned their heads to stare at the monkey. He did not seem to understand why that suggestion was a bad one, instead just looking at them all with a wide smile and crazed eyes. "What? It might just work, you know?"

"That won't work," Ami said. "Not like that, at least. We need the element of surprise until the end. It is possible for us to go over the grounds, but we would need someone that could help us to trick the soldiers."

"You have me," a Felinian said from behind Spyro. He saw Spyro and held out his hand. "I am Deres, and I am a friend of Ami's. You are, too, obviously, or else you wouldn't be here."

Spyro shook his hand. "What makes you think you can get us inside without us being detected?"

"I am still technically a guard there, and I do not think they realized I left along with Ami," he explained. "Most of those who are patrolling haven't half a wit among them, and so it will be easy to trick them. If you can get me in there, then I should be able to take them all down and lower all other defenses besides the guards so that you can go in."

"It is possible for us to get in through the dungeons, as well," Ami said. "There's a passage there, and I am willing to bet that if I was able to escape from within, then we can enter from the outside. Now, I could be wrong, and you don't have to trust me on that, but I think it's worth a shot."

"I think you're right," Spyro said. "We'll just need to find the lever, or whatever it is that triggers that secret passage. Deres, we'll still need you to take down every soldier on top of the castle and around the grounds. Obviously, they still pose a threat, and so long as they are still around, then we are in danger of alerting Zelophehad to what it is that we are doing."

"True," Ami said. "Is there anyone that can slip under small cracks, by the way? We might need them to help us escape the dungeons once we go inside."

"We have one of the best right here," Spyro said, offering Cynder. "She has a move called the Shadow Dash that allows her to do just that. It comes in handy during our other missions, that's for certain, and it—as well as she—won't fail you here."

"I can do it, don't worry," Cynder told Ami.

"Good," Ami said. "There might be guards within the dungeons, too."

"We can take care of them," Bentley volunteered. "I haven't seen as much actionas I've wanted, and I think it's time I get what I desire!"

"Amen to that, brother!" Agent 9 shouted.

"While there are times I abhor your views on violence, I feel this is one of those moments where I can do nothing but agree with you!" Sgt. Byrd said.

"I think I'll get a good kick out of it all, so I'm more than definitely in!" Sheila said.

"Good," Spyro said. "We'll have to leave soon. The longer we wait, the more time Zelophehad will have when it comes to getting ready for us."

"And he won't be the only one," a voice said from behind him. Spyro turned to find Cali, along with Flynn and Hugo. "I understand you've had to deal with a lot, so you might not remember me telling you this, but Kaos is here, too. He arrived not long after you went with Sheila to the Alp."

"Oh God," Spyro heard Cynder say next to him.

"If he allies with Zelophehad, that will be extremely problematic," Sunburn said.

"The only strange this is that I did not see an army come with him," Cali added. "The only other person I saw besides Kaos was that Goblin henchman of his, Glumshanks."

"What's that mean when it comes to how much of a threat he'll pose?" Sonic Boom asked Spyro. "That should make this easier, right?"

"I don't know," Spyro said. "I would pray that's the case, but I've been wrong before. Kaos is a good-sized threat on his own, and if he's going to join with an evil creature that now has possession of the Heretic Jewel, they will pose a much greater threat than if it was just them on their own."

"But we should be able to take them on," Stealth Elf said. "If we can get them away from one another and take them on by themselves, then we might stand a chance. What's the plan for fighting them?"

"Do you want to fight Zelophehad?" Spyro asked of her.

"I would," she replied. "But I also know that Kaos is someone I can take on without an issue arising. He's actually scared of me in some way, for a reason I don't know. If I can defeat him, then I can get to Zelophehad and deal the final blow."

Spyro nodded. "That might work," he said. "You have to remember, of course, that none of this is going to be easy. Zelophehad might be a lot like another threat I've faced, and given what I've heard about the depictions down in the caves where Zelophehad was once imprisoned, these two foes have actually gone up against each other. If Zelophehad is like Malefor, then he could be able to create soldiers out of Dark Magic."

"That would be interesting," Sunburn said.

"It definitely is," Hex said. "I've seen that firsthand, and I can agree that anyone having the same power level of Malefor is dangerous."

"I think we can do it, though," Spyro said. "We've gone up against several big threats, including Deathmatch. While this Shadow Golem might have something in his possession that will make all this more difficult, we can evade his attacks and find his weakness. We have to, because if we don't, then he will kill us all and take over not only the Forgotten Realms, but also Skylands and Avalar, and every other single location in the world. We're going to have to stand against him and work together no matter what happens. We need to put aside any and all differences that we might have and help one another with any enemy, whether it be a physical one or a mental one, such as doubt. We have a chance, and it is our time to take it! Who is with me? Who will stand with me until this is finally over?"

Cheers erupted from all those assembled. Spyro found himself smiling brightly. He knew he had done right, that he had been able to get through to them. Now he had an army that would help him to do what was right, one that would destroy everything that was wrong.

He looked to Cynder, who nuzzled against him. "You did good," she complimented.

"Thank you." He thought about something, and whispered into her ear, "Can I see you alone for a moment?"

They moved to an area where no one else could hear them—or so Spyro hoped—and where no one else could see them. Once Spyro had made sure they were alone, Spyro sighed. "I just want to let you know how much I love you and how much I love that you've supported me through everything," he said. "You've been by my side through all of this, even though there have been times where I have doubted myself."

"Why have you doubted yourself?" Cynder asked. "I don't see any reason for that. You've done so much good, and it will pay off soon. You have done amazing so far, and we're going to see how all the good you've done has affected those who will follow us to the castle. I don't see any reason for you to have doubted yourself."

"It's not so much because I don't think I've done enough good," Spyro elaborated, "but more because I've felt I could have returned sooner. I received an invite a little while back, just after our lifemate ceremony. It asked if I could come and visit, and I never answered because the truth is, I wasn't sure how to. I hadn't seen them in so long, and while I didn't want to disappoint them, I also had the feeling that I would come off as an overachiever. I know, it sounds stupid, and I'm sure that it is, but that's just how I thought. So, I still feel that, had I come here when they had asked, then I would have been able to stop Zelophehad from causing all the damage he has."

"Well, you've made up for any mistakes you might have made," Cynder said. "From what I've heard, you haven't made a single one. And if any of them believed you made a mistake, then they definitely haven't shown it. You need to stop blaming yourself and move on. Even if this was your fault, mistakes happen! You think I don't know what it's like to have to live with all the problems you caused? It is the story of my life! But we can move on, and with all the power that we have between the two of us, we'll be able to overcome this monster, as well as Kaos."

Spyro nodded.

"Why is it that you always know the exact words to say that will calm me down?" he inquired.

"Maybe because I've had to use them to help myself before," she replied. "If you ever need someone to talk to, you can always remember the love of your life is always here for you."

She kissed him intimately, and he returned the same amount of love she'd shown him. They did not want to break apart, as that would soon mean they would have to go up to the castle and confront their foes. As long as they kept kissing, then they wouldn't have to go through any of that.

"That was amazing," Spyro said when they had broken apart.

"As are you," she whispered to him.

Not too far away, Sunburn and Sonic Boom were having a similar heart-to-heart. They had already told each other their fears and how much they loved one another.

"Let's just hope it all goes exactly as we want," Sonic Boom said softly.

"It will," Sunburn told her in an assuring tone, "and when this is over, we can return to the Ruins and have our lifemate ceremony." He laughed a little. "It's so strange to finally so those words."

She smirked. "I know. There was a time years ago when I never would have thought I would say them, and now that the time has come where I can…it's all so surreal. There's a part of me that still wonders how it's true, but all that matters is that it is, and we can go forward with all the good once we return."

"I know that feeling," Sunburn said. "When I was taken in by Ramses in Dragon's Peak, I lived with him and his family. They've all gone somewhere else, and his mate died about twenty-five years ago, so he only had me. I was like another son for him, and he was always there for me when I needed him. It's thanks to him that I've become who I am today. He had his trainers train me, allowing me to become a good fighter. He taught me how to read and write, and he helped me to understand what it means to know how love and friendship can change someone's life. Without him, I wouldn't be the Hybrid you've pledged to spend the rest of your life with. There's still a part of me that wonders why you chose me, but all that matters is that you did, and…I love you with all my heart."

"I love you, too."

They embraced. When they had broken apart, Sonic Boom spoke again. "The reason that I chose to be with you is because you were the first person who showed me extreme kindness, other than Eon. You helped me to feel like I still had a reason to live. There was something that happened to me years ago that I will tell you one day, a secret I've carried since I was thirteen. It won't hurt our relationship in the way that a person or a group would, if you get my meaning, but it was an event that still haunts me, one that I still have nightmares about. I want to tell you right here and right now, but I can't. But you are someone who I feel I can confide in. Because of you, I feel like I belong. Not to mention, because of you, I've found some of the greatest friends."

Sunburn placed his forehead on hers. "I won't pressure you to reveal your secret," he said. "There are secrets I have, too, and while they don't haunt me like yours do, I still know what it means to not want to reveal them. That's why I will be by your side and love you until the end of time. Without you, I feel like I am nothing, like I am only half of who I truly am. But with you…"

"…you feel like you are whole," she finished for him. "I feel the same way. I love you, Sunburn."

"I love you, too," he said, and they shared a kiss.

Back with the crowd, Stealth Elf stood there thinking about what was to come. The memories of what Zelophehad had done that night in the Viridian Kingdom came flooding back to her. She thought about how terrible that night had been, the scars it had left on her.

She had lost her father that night.

Now she would be able to get back at the Shadow Golem. Now she would be able to battle him and kill him, which would avenge not only her father but also everyone else that had lost their lives that horrible night. She was going to finish this.

"Are you okay, Stealth Elf?" Hex asked her from a few inches away. "You look as though you drifted off for a moment."

"That's because I did," Stealth Elf said. "That's because I know how important all of this is. I lost so much the night Zelophehad used the Heretic Jewel. I know how dangerous this mission is. But when the night ends, we will be victorious…and he will be dead."

She walked away, wondering where Spyro had gone.

When she found him, she found Cynder was with them, and the two of them were deep in conversation. While she wanted to speak with them, she didn't want to interrupt their heart-to-heart.

Soon they noticed her, and both of them smiled at her.

"There you are," Stealth Elf said. "I was wondering where you'd gone. I was just wondering, are you ready for what's to come?"

"We are," Cynder said.

"We are," Spyro agreed. "What about you? This is your chance."

"It is, and I'm ready. I already told Hex how I believed that, when the sun comes up, we'll be victorious and Zelophehad will be dead."

"That's what we're praying for," Spyro said. "Now come on. It's time to get everyone in formation."

Just as they were about to rejoin their fellow Skylanders and other allies, Sunburn and Sonic Boom appeared a few feet away.

"Looks like you had the same idea," Spyro said.

"Well, we had to be sure," Sunburn said. "When you love someone, you want nothing more than for them to be safe."

"I know exactly what that feels like," Sonic Boom said.

"As do I," Cynder said.

"What are we about to do?" Sunburn asked.

"We need to get into formation, and then we can start our march to the castle," Spyro said. "Our enemies still don't know we're here. They might know we're in the Forgotten Realms, but it's more than likely they have no idea we're here in Charmed Ridge. Now we just need to keep it that way until we arrive."

He walked back towards the crowd, many of whom were still in their excited moods. That was good, he believed, as it would give the rest of those who might still have doubts a morale boost.

"Listen to me!" he called out to them. "It's time that we get into formation and prepare to march to the castle! The longer we tarry, the more likely Zelophehad will discover that we are here, and as we all know, that cannot happen! Kaos is with him, too, and he knows us well. But as we also know, Kaos has never been the smartest, and he probably thinks we're still in the Enchanted Towers." This led to a few laughs from those assembled. "So, we're going to get into lines. Magic, we will be in the first row, joined by Undead, with Cynder and I leading you, respectively. Fire and Air will be in the second row, led by Sunburn and Sonic Boom. Water and Tech will be in the third row, led by Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy. Finally, Life and Earth will be in the fourth row, led by Stealth Elf and Bash. As for our allies, you can be wherever you want within our formation. I believe this formation will allow us to be prepared for the battles that are to come. This battle is almost over, and when it finally is, then we will be able to return home! Now come with me, and let's finish this!"

After everyone clapped yet again, Spyro joined Cynder at the front, joined by the Skylanders of their respective Elements. Sheila and Agent 9 also joined them, with Sheila on Cynder's left and Agent 9 on Spyro's right. Once everyone had come together, Spyro knew it was time for them to move forward.

 _There's definitely a part of me that doesn't want to do this,_ he thought. _But I'm going to have to. We're going to have to go through with it. But as Cynder has already proven to me, we're going to get through this. There's no need to worry, no need for me to be stressed. We might be wounded, but I know that, in the end, we'll get through it._

"Are you ready for this?" he asked Cynder.

"I am," she replied without hesitation.

"So am I," he said. Then he raised his head and called out, "Skylanders, let's march!"

They all took their first step forward. Spyro looked over to where Ami and Deres were. They came nearer and joined their formation. Within the hut, in the far corner, he saw Azrael smiling at him, as well.

"We are coming with you," Ami explained. "You will need us to help you not only get into the castle, but also to defeat Zelophehad."

"Thank you, Ami," Spyro said to her as he passed.

They continued on until they had reached the front gate of the village. The same Felinian that had allowed them in opened the front gate for them, a bright smile upon their face. The Skylanders and their allies exited through that gate and entered the outside world.

In the distance, the castle could be soon, with a strange fog now flowing around it.

"So," Sheila said to Cynder after a little while, "what exactly is life like for all of you back at the place that you call home? And what is your home called again? I can't remember if I ever asked."

"It's called the Ruins," Cynder said. "And it's good. Many of the days, we just sit around and wait for a sign of evildoers. While there are a lot of fights we find ourselves involved in, there are also quite a few times where we can just relax throughout an entire day and not have to worry about what evil will throw at us, which is nice."

"Why is it called the Ruins?" Sheila asked.

"I'm not really sure," Cynder said. "I've heard different theories about, including the idea that they actually were the ruins of an ancient civilization. As interesting as that is, we still have no idea. It was already called that when I arrived, and I never got to ask Eon—a good friend of ours who helped create our generation of Skylanders—how the name came to be. It's still a mystery."

"And Eon helped you and Spyro to come together?"

"Yes. He seemed to understand from the very beginning that we were the perfect fit, and he tried all he could to help us reveal how we truly felt. I'll admit, when I first the feeling that I would later know to be love, I wasn't sure what it was. It was all so weird, and I thought my chest was about to burst because of how much my heart began pounding. Once I realized it, I kept it hidden because I didn't want it to become one of those things where my heart would be broken when I finally professed my love. But Spyro was able to help me know that there was a lot of good that could come out of love. During one of our missions, we were captured and I was beaten. It's because of Spyro that that enemy stopped beating me. He threw me to the ground and disappeared. Spyro and I began speaking to one another, but as we spoke, that enemy, Deathmatch—who was a Dark Elf—appeared out of thin air and started beating Spyro. I couldn't take it, and I cried out for Deathmatch to stop. He wondered why that was, and the only thing I could do then was reveal it. I told Deathmatch, as well as Spyro, as well as everyone else that was in that room, the truth: I loved Spyro. I explained that the only reason I had not told him or anyone else was because of my fear that I would have my heart broken. Much to my surprise, Spyro revealed that he loved me, too. And everything's been good since then."

"That sounds like one amazing story," Agent 9 whispered to Spyro. "I wish I could have seen it all happen."

"It is an amazing story," Spyro said. "And I say 'is' because it's still ongoing. And I would have loved to have you there. But we also have to realize that, if you had been there, then things might have changed. Maybe Cynder and I would never have gotten together. That's a reason I try not to think about how things could have been. Even tonight, I had those kinds of thoughts, but because of Cynder, I was able to put it behind me and not think like that at all. We need to look to the future and hope for the very best."

"You sure have changed a lot since your last adventure here," Sheila observed. "The amount you've grown is nothing short of amazing. The fact I get to spend time with you right now is extremely heartening."

"I'm glad you can share it with us."

They were now crossing a bridge with a black-and-white diamond pattern that stretched across a wide gorge.

A few rows behind them, Stealth Elf found herself by Bentley. The Yeti, whom she had found to be extremely kind while in the Outpost—if not a little boisterous—as well as a good fighter. He looked down at her.

"Are you doing all right?" he asked.

"Yes. I could be better, but I've found that it's better if I focus on the positives rather than allowing the negatives to cloud my judgement," she answered. "What are you going to do when this is over?"

"I'm not sure, actually. My guess is that I'll return to the Outpost and wait for another adventure to come around. It probably won't be too long before that happens. While we've gone through a little peace in the years since Spyro last visited, it's also a certainly that someone somewhere will attempt to act like a hero, or just act like a complete fool. It's the latter, most of the time. Because of this, there is never a truly dull moment around here."

Now that they had crossed the bridge, they had reached what Stealth Elf guessed were the beginnings of the castle's grounds. Looking ahead, she found a great gate standing before them. She wondered how they were going to get through it.

"Spyro," she called to him, "how are we going to get through the gate?"

"I think I might know a way," Ami said from somewhere near her. Stealth Elf looked around for her, peering over the tops of some of the Skylanders' heads and looking in the gaps between them before seeing that she was flying near Sonic Boom. "It will take some Magic, but I should be able to open it for us."

"That will not be needed, Princess," Deres said. "As one of you guard, I should be able to open it without a problem." Stealth Elf now saw that he was near Sunburn, and he walked out of the formation.

When he reached the gate, he started climbing it. Once he reached the top, he jumped off and down. Now that he was on the other side, he started looking around for something that no one else within the formation could see. Back up at the front, Spyro saw Deres's eyes widen and became bright with happiness as he located something. He walked over to a spot near the left post the gate was hinged to. He knelt down and pressed something.

Almost immediately after doing so, the gate started opening, and soon enough it was open completely. The Skylanders and their allies moved in, and Spyro could only think that their plan was one step closer to being completed.

"There's the castle," Ami breathed, her voice higher than usual. Spyro guessed this was because of the emotion she felt now that her home had been taken over. "We have to be careful. There are definitely guards on the top, and if they are there, they were put in place not long after my escape."

"How do surprise them?" Sunburn wondered.

"I have a solution," Hex said. "Just give me a quick moment."

Spyro turned to look at her and saw her concentrating. A Phantom Orb appeared in her palm. She held it like a baseball, stretched her arm back and moved her hand so that the palm faced those behind her, and launched the Orb at the castle's roof. Up above, the guards were minding their own business, none of them having seen the Skylanders enter. When the Phantom Orb hit the roof, they became extremely confused by the appearance of the violet-colored ball.

"What is that?" one of the guards almost exclaimed.

"I have no idea," another said.

Before any of them could say anything else, the Phantom Orb burst, clouding the area in a a thick smoke.

Down below, Hex looked to Stealth Elf. "You and Deres should go up there and take the guards down," she said. "Just be careful, because I don't know how many guards are up there, nor do I know how long the smoke will last."

Stealth Elf looked to Spyro, who nodded back at her. "Okay," she said, readying herself. She looked to Deres. "We're going up there. Be ready for what's about to happen. This might feel really weird."

"All right," Deres said. "Well, it could probably be a lot worse." He went to Stealth Elf and took hold of her shoulder. She concentrated, as well, and teleported them to the castle's roof.

So far, the guards were still distracted. Stealth Elf took advantage of this and started taking them down.

She kicked one in the head, knocking them out instantly, and sliced open one's arm with one of her daggers so that they would pay attention only to that wound. While they cried out in pain, she was able to slap them hard enough in the head that they fell to the ground.

Deres, meanwhile, was just punching and kicking all those that he saw. He jumped as he saw a shadow in the smoke, only to realize that it was his shadow, meaning he'd given himself a fright for nothing.

"Who's there?" one of the few conscious guards asked. "Who is it that is attacking us? Appear to me now, and I will kill you! Come out and show yourself, coward!"

Stealth Elf sighed and teleported to a spot right behind them.

She kicked them in the back of the leg, causing them to drop to that knee, and punched them in the back of the head. They fell facedown.

The smoke finally cleared a few moments later, and Stealth Elf and Deres found they had been able to take all the guards down. This meant they were safe to find their way into the castle now.

Teleporting back down, Stealth Elf reported to Spyro, "It's over. We shouldn't have to worry about anything else, as far as I know."

"I'm not seeing any guards on the grounds, so I think we're good," Deres agreed. "I have to admit, Elf, that was a really fun time up there. I'm proud to say that I got to work with someone as amazing as you."

"Thank you," Stealth Elf said, feeling humbled.

"Yes, good job," Spyro said. "Now, come on. Just one more stop, then the final battle. We're almost there!"

"Fortunately, the secret passage is this way," Deres said. He now took the lead, with every Skylander following him. "It was put here for a very similar reason as to what you're using it for, though under different circumstances. The architect needed a way to get back into the castle in the case of him being locked out. So, he built these passageways and their secret triggers, and the rest is history, as many would say."

"I'm still shocked they're even here," Cynder said. "You would think Zelophehad would realize the dangers that came with leaving them operational."

"That's why I am guessing that he didn't know," Deres said. "In fact, there aren't very many who know about them. While Ami and I do, it's because we've lived around her for so long, and I have also read the architect's account. But many of the guards either can't read or don't want to read, and as for others, they don't really ever go down to the dungeons unless forced to. It's one of those weird things that's easy to explain, and yet for some, it still doesn't make sense." They reached a wall on the left side of the castle, where Deres walked up to the wall and felt around. "I know the thing is here somewhere, but I just need to try and find it." His eyes became wide again as he felt one of the ends on the right side of the wall. He must have done something, for the wall began to slide open a moment later. "And there we go."

Now that the wall had opened, the Skylanders and their allies could move forward.

Soon enough, Spyro realized, they would be taking on the Shadow Golem that had caused so many issues in Charmed Ridge during his short stay. Even despite the fact it had been a short stay, he had already outstayed his welcome.

"We're going to finish this," he said to both Stealth Elf and Cynder at the same time.

"Thank God," Cynder said. "Now we can free the Realm from everything that Zelophehad has forced upon the inhabitants."

"Not only that, but I can finally avenge those who died that night," Stealth Elf said.

Together and completely determined, they made their way to what they knew would be the final battle.


End file.
